Monday Musings - August 15, 2016

1. I saw the constellation Orion rising in the eastern sky this morning. Summer is coming to an end. The stars were beautiful, however.

2. Despite the oppressive heat, I managed to get in a round of golf yesterday. I wish I had played better, but there were some definite highlights.

Big Cork Vineyards
August 14, 2016

3. While we were chatting over an afternoon glass of wine listening to some oldies being played by a guitarist at our favorite Maryland Winery, Big Cork, Chris remarked, "I hope we never get so old that we stop enjoying trying something new." 

4. While the Orioles have slipped into second place in the American League East, they pulled off a stunning comeback win yesterday. Trailing 7-1 after 5 innings, and then training 7-5 in the top of the 9th, they won 8-7. The Orioles are now 2-48 when trailing after 8 innings of baseball.

5. The evening thunderstorm provided some temporary relief from the heat yesterday. 

6. August is half over. It is hard to believe. Summer is ending.

7. I am beginning to believe that Labor Day is my least favorite holiday because in a sense it marks the end of summer and the beginning of the autumn season. 

8. The Olympics continues to dominate! The stories of the athletes are compelling, but the stories of robberies on the streets of Rio are scary.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 25, 2016

Oysters for Snack

1. Heard this in a restaurant: "I don't like that, it has too much taste."

2. Saw this sign in a restaurant: "Unattended children will be given espresso and a puppy."

3. Spending a weekend at a wine fest is awesome, except for all of the work that did not get done around the house.

St Michael's, MD
April 24, 2016

4. Oysters--I like oysters.

5. A beautiful morning in St Michael's is a great way to start a day!

Jellyfish in a Boat Channel

6. I wonder what a jellyfish thinks about when it is undulating in a boat channel?

7. Maryland gets to have its turn in the Presidential Olympics this week. It is almost exciting that the outcome has not yet been determined.

8. It is good to wake up on a Monday and feel ready for the week ahead.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

St Michaels Wine Fest

St Michael's Fest Tent

The day was cool and cloudy with some passing showers, but the annual St Michaels Wine Fest kicked off its two day run yesterday to throngs of people. This is the one wins fest that we make an effort to attend every year.

Why?

The venue is the entire town of St Michaels and it is an enjoyable town to stroll through and shop while enjoying wines from around the world.

I will write more about the fest in my wine blog, but I recommend the St Michaels Wine Fest as another rite of Spring.

Good wines and friends mixed together.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Easton, MD

Spring Takes Control

Azalea in Bloom

It has finally happened. The last vestiges of Winter have been thrown off and Spring has taken control of the weather. 

Red Bud Blooms Fading

Yes, that means rain--and not just a small amount. But the results have been spectacular. The leaves are visible on the trees and the flowering plants are in bloom.

I was stunned to see my white azalea in full bloom yesterday even as the red buds are fading from the that tree in my yard.

I was fortunate enough to play golf in a short sleeve shirt yesterday.  Another sure sign of Spring. 

Today, Chris and I are off to St Michaels, MD, for the annual wine festival! Although the weather is rainy and overcast this morning, it is expected to clear off and fantastic by the afternoon. If you are in the region, come out and enjoy the wines and the weather.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Hour -- Modified

On a normal Friday evening, Chris and I enjoy Happy Hour with our friends and catch up on the week's activities while planning future fun.

Happy Hour Selections
April 15, 2016

Being laid up this week, we decided it was not wise to spread the flu virus among our friends and did not attend the weekly gathering. But, we decided to enjoy a happy hour of our own. We pulled out a small selection of wines and of course, in an effort to prevent the flu from spreading to the uninfected, there was the obligatory can of Lysol.

The selections included regional wines. We had some California 2013 Carnivore, rated 90, left over from earlier in the week and we included a Maryland wine from Big Cork, the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc. As a back up, we had a Virginia Merlot from Vint Hill--which remained unopened. 

The can of Lysol was to remind us to keep the flu bug at bay and prevent reinfection or additional infections.

Even though I'm under the weather does not mean I have to give up living. Chris and I had an enjoyable evening conversing and watching a movie while enjoying our wine selections. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Finding Consensus

Cindy Schornberg Holding the
Virginia Governor's Cup for the Best Wine in Virginia for 2016

The time for the annual trek to Keswick Vineyards to compete in the 2015 Consensus blending event arrived last weekend. Our intrepid team gathered at the vineyard during Saturday's late morning hours to blend an award winning wine. You may be wondering why it is the 2015 Consensus blending event and not the 2016? Because the wine will be a 2015 vintage.

Steven Barnard the Winemaker
Helping the Teams

Blending wines from raw material is both a fun and sometimes frustrating experience. This year's selections were all 2015 wines from Keswick and consisted of Merlot, Chambourcin, Touriga, and Norton. There were limits, however, the final blend could contain no more than 20 percent Chambourcin and 25 percent Norton. The Merlot and Touriga were unlimited.

There were 11 teams competing on the last day of the six days of competition. The winning wine of the day will compete against the other five daily winners to become Keswick Vineyards 2015 Consensus Wine.

Our Team

Of course, the first requirement of blending is to taste and describe the raw ingredients. Each of the wines were tasted and our team assessed its strengths and weaknesses. As a group, all of the wines this year had good color--and obtaining a nice, deep color was not a problem as it had been in other years. 

The Formula Sheet

The next decision was what to use for the base. Our team decided upon the Merlot and based upon the flavors we decided to use Chambourcin to help improve the Merlot. These wines together were a bit acidic and we added Touriga for balance and some Norton at the end to increase the whole mouth experience. The team's final blend, after only two hours of blending was 77% Merlot, 15% Chambourcin, 6% Touriga, and 2% Norton. I know the image would suggest that a different blend was the final winner, but that was a final check before deciding to go with an earlier blend.

The team took a slight detour and worked with a Touriga base for a couple of blends, but decided that the Merlot based wine was a better approach. 

Our Team in the Barrel Room

Our final blend was very nice. It was a medium-bodied wine with a light fruity nose showing hints of summer berries and contrasted by some smokiness and cherries on the tongue. It had a persistent finish and a well balanced full-mouth feel. It was bit acidic but there were some mild tannins supporting the experience. This was not a wine to be cellared for many years, but to be enjoyed tomorrow, although a year or two in the bottle would have certainly helped it all blend together. We liked it.

Suffice it to say, our wine did not win the competition as we had hoped. A Touriga-based wine was the winner of the blind competition. The winner was very dark and full-bodied with the ability to be cellared for a few years. Interestingly, the winner was our teams lowest rated wine. 

On this Saturday, our team was reminded that creating a wine that we like is no assurance that others will appreciate it. 

While we did not win the day, we had a lot of fun being together and continuing to expand our knowledge of wine making.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 11, 2016

1. I figured out how that I must be getting close to retirement because people have begun asking when I plan to retire.

2. 50 degree days seem a lot colder after spending a week on vacation with temperatures in the high 70's and up to the 90's.

Helicopter over Keswick Vineyards
By Cindy Schornberg from Facebook

3. Wine is agriculture and unseasonably cold temperatures can destroy a whole crop. This weekend while I was visiting Charlottesville, the vineyards were using extreme measures to save the vines from the cold--burning hay, flying helicopters to move the air, and employing uniquely designed flame throwing machines to warm the air between the rows of vines.

4. The quote: "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" took on a new meaning this weekend. By the way, I always thought I was quoting Vince Lombardi, but it turns out that UCLA Bruins football coach Red Sanders is the originator of the phrase. 

5. The political landscape remains in complete upheaval. The conventions this summer should be a lot of fun.

6. The Orioles are the only undefeated team in all of Major League Baseball at 5-0. They tied for best start of the season by any Orioles team yesterday with a win. The last, and only, time the Orioles started 5-0 was 1970 and they won the World Series that year!

7. Yesterday's Master's finale showed how the fortunes of golf can turn in just a few holes. Congratulations to Danny Willett for a solid performance. Condolences to Jordan Spieth but also congratulations for his accomplishments. 

8. It doesn't matter of you come in 2nd or 11th--you still lost and that is a hard pill to swallow.

9. One week to Tax Day--are you ready?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Takes a Time Out

Elkridge 10 Day Forecast

I can describe the recent area weather in one word--COLD!

It has been unseasonably cold. 

The 10 day forecast does not have a 70 degree day listed. And there is snow! Sunday morning it forecast to be below freezing! 

This is not good news for the vineyards in the area. They are spending time and money protecting the vines which may be in the early stages of bud break from the frost.

For myself, having just returned from Florida and the Bahamas, the weather seems exceptionally cold! It was in the 90's on of the days I was in Florida!! I am ready for the Springtime to resume. 

Cue the 70 degree temperatures. Bring on the pool opening extravaganza--I haven't even set a date yet because it has been so cold. Unlock the suntan lotion!

Hopefully, the weather will change soon and milder temperatures will return. It is time to get along with outside living!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 29, 2016

1. Happy Leap Day! It is February 29th!

Snow Along the Fence of my Yard

2. Small patches of snow remain around my yard from the last big snow. I hope they are gone soon.

3. Daylight saving time returns in two short weeks! 

Wine and Munchies on a Saturday
Fauquier county Wine Tasting & Competition

4. One great was to spend an afternoon is with friends judging wines at a competition. We had a great time at this year's Fauquier County Wine Tasting and Competition. 

5. I discovered that Virginia has ceased production of its annual wine trail map and that it is only available via the web. While I laud their use of electronics, I have been at more than one Virginia winery without internet service which will make it hard to get to another winery.

6. I saw this sign at a local Middle School yesterday. It embodies the idea of "closed more often to serve you better."

7. The youth basketball season ended yesterday for Ethan and Jackson. I witnessed two close and exciting games. One saw the what would have been the winning basket hit the rim and fall away after the buzzer sounded and the other saw a flurry of shots all miss which cemented a win after five scoreless minutes in the final period.

February 28, 2016
Enjoying the Afternoon as it Passes into Evening

8.  I have been attending many youth games this past year but it wasn't until the Dad that coaches Jackson's basketball team looked at me in the hallway yesterday and said, "it's baseball season now, over to you," that it really struck me that I am not just an observer but an active participant in teaching sports to young and active people. 

9. Golf season is getting close, I was hitting balls yesterday and feeling good about my swing. 

10. Sipping wine around the fire table at the end of a beautiful day which saw the convertible being driven with the top down. What a great way for February to meld into March.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

December 12th

What a day! It was an awesome late autumn, yes, it is still autumn, day. Temperatures were very mild.

December 2015 in Maryland

So mild, that I was outside most of the day without a coat and having a great time.

There was the obligatory Christmas shopping and then present wrapping which consumed most of the morning.

But then the afternoon arrived--and I was actually in the yard on my tractor doing some light mowing, you mowing, and leaf removal. 

And from there, the day really picked up.

Wine, Fire, and Christmas Lights

There was a long walk to enjoy the sunshine and the mild temperatures. I chatted with neighbors along the way and saw many people putting out their Christmas lights 

I even was able to hit a few golf balls in the yard to keep my swing steady.

And then it was dark.

But wait, we have a fire table and it was fantastic to sit outside,during December, not risking frostbite, and enjoying a perfect wine for the occasion. 

It was a perfect ending to a great day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 16, 2015

1. November is half over. It only just began, it seems. But it certainly is tumultuous.

2. I received my mid-month golf handicap adjustment yesterday with a note that the season in Maryland has officially closed until March 15th. It must truly be winter.

3. Oblivious drivers are everywhere. I noticed more than just a few during my weekend travels to Upstate NY. They are dangerous!

4. My prayers are with and for those who were caught up in the terrorism in Paris over the weekend. Vive la France!

5. It is sad to see all the trees standing without their leaves ready for winter's onslaught.

6. A weekend in Upstate NY is not complete without stopping at at least one winery!

7. My view--it is time for the peace-loving peoples of the world to finally unite and repulse the barbarism and terrorism being spawned by ISIL and other groups across the globe. Maybe a coalition with Russia, the US, China, and NATO along with nonaligned countries can finally be formed.  Oh, yeah--that would be the United Nations.

8. The NFL continues to confound with obviously bad calls even after video review. Something's gotta give.

9. The week is beginning. What wonders are in store for us?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 19, 2015

Snow on the pines along Route 15 in PA
October 18, 2015

1. Snow! For real! I experienced snow in Central NY and Pennsylvania yesterday. Ugh. Winter is too close.

2. The Ravens effectively ended their season with a loss yesterday. A 1-5 record is going to be almost impossible to overcome, unless they decide to go on an 10 game winning streak.

October Fire in the Fireplace

3. One of the joys of a weekend away is discovering new things that were there all along.

4. I didn't play golf this weekend, but I saw a lot of empty golf courses in Upstate NY.

5. The results of my weekend confirmed that New York vineyards continue to improve and develop their wines. The whites are among the best in the country for Rieslings and there are other varietals coming close behind.

Boat Lift in the Early Morning Light

6. Sometimes I run across scenes that are just beautiful. I'm glad that I always have a camera to capture them.

7. Impatient and aggressive drivers are a distinct problem on the highways.

8. Why are some people so willing to give away civil rights that they personally don't appreciate?

9. I have discovered a new style of leadership--leadership by confusion.

10. Transparency is something that we at the same time desire and despise. We want others to be transparent while we work to conceal our own lives and interests.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Waking up on Seneca Lake

Route 15 in Pennsylvania
October 15, 2015

I am enjoying the second day of a weekend get away to upstate New York with friends to enjoy wine and the scenery as the autumn slips away into the dark period.

Yesterday was mostly a travel day, but we did manage to visit three Finger Lakes wineries to sample some of the wares and found some very nice wines. The weather was idyllic--a crisp and clear autumn day, for the trip. It was a beautiful day for travel.

View of Seneca Lake from Route 14
October 15, 2015

Of course part of the trip encompasses research for my wine blog, the time with friends and enjoying the scenic beauty of the region is  an equally good reason for a few days away. I admit, left to my own devices I would probably visit as many wineries as possible and miss the gorges and beauty of the region. I am told that balance is what is important.

Chris on the Dock of the Beach House

As day two dawns along the shores of Seneca Lake, the clouds are a bit thick and the high temperature is expected to be in the low 50s for the day. We will be heading off to Cayuga Lake to visit a few wineries there as well as visit some of the natural wonders.

For now, I am enjoying the scene of the lake outside the windows of the beach house as the dawn breaks. There is a fox checking out the the beach hoping for a duck for breakfast. 

I hope he finds something other than duck.

And the day is upon me.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY

Let the Blending Begin

Spending a day at a winery is one of the things that I truly enjoy. Spending a day with some raw materials and creating a nice wine just adds to the joy of being at the winery.

That was yesterday. We gathered with friends to try our amateur hands at wine blending. We were provided four 2014 vintage Virginia wines and given the charge to create our best wine. This is the annual Keswick Vineyards Consensus Blending.

The wines were Touriga, Chambourcin, Syrah, and Norton. Each had some very nice qualities but was not a complete drinkable or salable wine. By the end of the day we blended a great wine that had everything the wine drinkers look for in a wine. We have need down this path before. Last year we did not place well in the blending with out entry. This year we were much happier. In fact, I like our wine.

The results? We finished as the runner-up less just over a half point behind the winners of the day. I even rated their wine ahead of ours.

A great day and great fun. We will do even better next year.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Earlysville, VA

Virginia Weekend

It is consensus blending weekend and I am making my annual trek to Keswick Vineyards for the fun and education of hands on wine blending.

Last year's team is reassembled and ready for the competition. Ok. It really isn't a competition it is just fun. And we will have fun because wine blending is just plain fun.

It all begins in a few short hours. I learn more and more about wine and blending every time I participate and this is perhaps my sixth trip to Keswick for the blending.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Earlysville, VA

Guarding the Wine

Riordin the Wine Guard

Sometimes the animals in the house do things that are just funny, but perfectly innocent. 

Such was the case yesterday as Riordin decided that a wine box was sitting on the table needed to be guarded to protect it from the dog and whomever else might be in the house. 

Riordin remained perched on the wine box for quite a while and had no issues as I documented his self-appointed role.

I'm just glad he just guards and doesn't drink the wine. That would surely be expensive!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wines from the Texas Hill Country

When I think of the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, Texas, I think of Springtime and bluebonnets. I remember driving through the region many times during the years I was assigned to the Air Force base in San Angelo, Texas, and wondering why the base couldn't be 90 miles east of where it was.

The region is beautiful and I always enjoyed the drive, except for one icy, winter day.

But that written, I never associated the Texas Hill Country with wine! Who knew? I didn't. Turns out, Texas is the fifth largest wine producing region in the United States! Wow! And then there comes along this cool contest, sponsored by Wine Enthusiast, to help people become familiar with Texas and Texas Hill Country wines. I am writing this article to hopefully win a trip to Texas as a wine destination! Who knew.

If I win the contest, I definitely want to experience all the various forms of Texas wines. I am familiar with many other U.S. wine regions--California, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and New York--but I dearly want to add Texas to the list. Not only that, but if I could travel to the Texas wine country during the springtime, I could take a lot of pictures of the Texas State Flower.

With red wines rated in the low 90's and high 80's--there has to be some excellent drinking. You can review the Texas wine ratings for yourself, but wouldn't it be better to do them in person? I thin the Llano 1997 Signature Red, rated 91 for $9 looks especially enticing!

They do everything bigger in Texas, so they say. Maybe that applies to wines, too.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Winter Vineyards

King Family Vineyards during January

Although the leaves are gone and the harvest is long complete and it appears quiet with little activity, the vineyards of Virginia are busy places during the winter. 

Although it may not look like it, this vineyard is being pruned in preparation for the coming growing season. The piles of wood, as it is called, on the ground are the evidence of the activity that continues even with snow on the ground.

Chris took this picture during our Charlottesville wine weekend. The white snow provided contrast against the dark mountains in the background. And the vines, the stars of the show, are shown just after the pruning that prepares them for the growing season ahead.  

Although there isn't a lot of growing going on, vineyards are busy places during the winter.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Consensus Blending at Keswick

The Consensus Team
George, Sue, Peggy, Chris, Mark

Consensus Blending at Keswick Vineyards near Charlottesville, Virginia, is an awesome way to spend a day. I have written about the Consensus blending before--an event sponsored by the vineyard that brings the wine club members together to blend a winning wine that the winery will bottle and sell.

Our team was ready for the challenge of taking four wines with defects and making a good tasting wine that people would buy. It was tough. We were presented with four wines: Touriga, Norton, Syrah, and Chambourcin; all grown on the estate and ready to be blended into a great wine.

The Consensus Tools:
Four wines, graduated cylinder, and a wine glass

Blending a winning wine takes a lot of patience, the ability to find ways to blend imperfect wines into a masterpiece, and a lot of luck. There is science involved, but as the winemakers says every year, we are being asked to do in two and a half hours what takes him six months to achieve. And we do fairly well. 

This year we had a lot of fun, enjoyed some really imperfect wines, and blended what we thought was a great wine (until we tasted it later) all while spending another awesome weekend in Charlottesville. Our wine did not do as well as we had hoped, but when we tasted it later during the blind judging portion of the day, I felt that it got what it deserved. I rated for the winning wine very high and it was a very nice blend. Our wine, was mediocre by comparison and we rated it as such. 

Although we felt bad that our blend didn't do well this year--we learned a lot and I know that I am already looking forward to next year's event.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

On the Virginia Wine Trail -- Monticello Region

Saturday was devoted to friends and wine exploration. Although we planned to visit five or six wineries, only four were visited. And that is really OK, we had fun.

During the day we revisited King Family Vineyards, Pollak Vineyards, Pippin Hill Farm Vineyard; and made our first visit to DelFosse Winery. 

Statue at DelFosse

We began the day at DelFosse Winery and found a scenic setting well off the beaten path. The setting was particularly bucolic and the tasting room was very nice. The wines were solid and provided a good representation of the winemakers efforts. While the wines were good, we did not find them exceptional.

For our second stop, we turned into Pippin Hill Farm Vineyard just off US 29. We had visited this vineyard about two years ago shortly after they had opened their impressive tasting room. The view from the tasting room is impressive and the food looks very tasty. The highlight of the tasting here was the two examples of sparkling wine that are offered. Both were solid sparkling wines and the Rose was the highlight of the visit. We found the other wines, both reds and whits, to be good, but again not exceptional.

Lunch at Pollak

Our next stop, at Pollak Vineyards was the highlight of the day. IT was also the reason that we only visited four vineyards during the day. This was our second visit to Pollak, the previous being over two years ago. Our visit here highlights how wines change

Lunch at Pollak

from season to season. Two years ago we found the wines to be unremarkable. Yesterday, however, the wines were definitely the highlight of the day. The tasting room remains beautiful, but it is too small--and we had to wait about 15 minutes to be able to be served. It was worth the wait. We found exceptional whites, the 2011 Chardonnay and 2012 Vigionier were great; but the 2012 Pinot Gris was truly exceptional. For the reds, we enjoyed an exceptional 2010 Merlot and 2010 Petit Verdot. We spend a lot of time at Pollak enjoying the wines and the ambiance. This visit was the highlight of the day.

Stables at King Family Vineyard

We closed out the day at one of our favorite vineyards: King Family. This vineyard never disappoints and we were able to sit at a table in front of a roaring fire and enjoy a very nice Viognier while chatting with friends about the vineyards visited during the day and the plans for the rest of the weekend. The wines are drinking very nicely, especially the 2012 Viognier and the 2011 Petit Verdot. The 2011 Seven, port style wine, did not disappoint either. What a beautiful day. 

King Family Vineyards vines in the afternoon

As we were departing King Family Vineyards, the colds broke and the sun finally began to shine, Chris took this image which represented the day fairly well--wine and dark skies. 

Another great visit to the Charlottesville region to sample wines of the Monticello AVA. But like I have written before--the key to enjoying wine is not about the drinking, but about the conversation and the friends which surround the experience.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Charlottesville, VA