Tag wineries

Beachaven Vineyards & Winery, Clarksville, TN

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A Judge, his Wine and a Winery!

Just off of Highway 24 in Clarksville, Tennessee sits a vineyard and winery started by Judge William O. Beach.  After helping to revive the wine industry in that state, he took his amateur wine making skills and decided to open a vineyard and winery.  The result is a wonderful stop that has award winning wines, an active event schedule, and a beautiful display of artwork by a former employee that shows his dedication to the vineyard.

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A colorful entrance

Just a few of the 500 awards over 23 years.

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The property

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Self guided tour explaining the Champagne process

A Labor of Love!

The ends of many barrels were carved by the vineyard pruner!  An incredible artist that was able to bring to life the sketches that he drew.  It makes an incredible display.

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Outdoor event space
A final goodbye

I hope you are inspired to have an adventure and head to Beachaven Vineyards & Winery!

To learn more, please go to http://www.beachavenwinery.com

d’Art Wines, Lodi, CA

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For Art and Wine

To experience d’Art Wines, you will need to travel to the Lodi AVA in the central valley of California.  An ideal growing region that has warm days and cool delta breezes at night is home to this beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon Estate.  While there, enjoy a glass of Final Cut, a blend of Tempranillo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah. Then stroll the tasting room to view the winemakers photoart that also adorns the wine bottles.

 

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Every inch of the property is put to use.

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Meticulously maintained vines.

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Barrels full of art, inside and out!

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Antique transportation is great advertising.

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Barrels are everywhere.

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Pathway to wine greatness.

To experience the art experience check out http://www.dartwines.com to plan your own trip.

 

Quantum Leap Winery, Orlando, Florida

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From Mickey Mouse to an Urban Winery

 

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Their industrial location in the Mills 50 district

 

When you need a grown-up break from the world of Disney, where should you go?  How about a Florida winery!

DSC04231Quantum Leap Winery is a unique destination in Florida.  They do not make wines from the Florida native grape, Muscadine, but focus on creating great tasting wines from around the world.  They do this by purchasing wine juice from small wineries in premier growing regions and then age, finish, blend, and package the wine in their facility.  Their focus is on being environmentally friendly and reducing their carbon footprint in the process.

The winery is owned by Jill Ramsier and David Forrester.  The friends have a passion for wine and decided to take the leap and open a winery of their own.  Norman Saley, the winemaker, joined them in 2014 bringing his California winemaking experience with him.

 

 

DSC04246Upon arrival to this urban winery, you will notice the eclectic, artsy, vibrant neighborhood.  Quantum Leap’s home is a former warehouse building and retains many of its industrial attributes.  The interior is very open and inviting.  There is a large central bar for tastings and an open area with ample tables, chairs, and couches.  The exposed ductwork is visible against the high ceilings with plenty of lighting.  Bright artwork adorns the walls, which you can purchase and there is an area in the corner for musical artists to perform. Outdoors, the prior loading dock serves as a covered porch area to sit a spell and enjoy great wine.

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Stepping inside, we were greeted warmly and offered one of two tastings.  We choose to do both, Lucy’s Whites and Buster’s Big Reds.  A variety of wine regions were represented from Washington to California and Veneto, Italy.

 

Our tastings included:

Whites

  • Grape Pedaler White Blend, Columbia Valley, WA 2014  -Viognier, Gewurztraminer, and dry Riesling.
  • Pinot Grigio, Veneto, IT 2016
  • Garda White Blend, Veneto, IT 2014 -Traditional Northern Italian blend
  • Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Russian River Valley, CA 2014

Reds

  • Tempranillo, Ancient Lakes AVA< WA 2013
  • Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, CA 2014
  • Merlot, Napa Valley, CA 2013
  • Sangiovese, Paso Robles, CA 2014

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They have a large selection of amazing wines for purchase and I’m sure you will find a few that you want before heading back to Disney!

Grape Pedaler Blend!

To learn more about them head to their website: http://www.quantumleapwinery.com

 

Winter Wonder!

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My kids during a Wisconsin winter long ago.

It must be the Wisconsin girl in me that still gets excited when it snows.  The wonderful memories that it stirs up of watching the flakes drift softly to the ground and of the fun we had playing and sledding in it.  It probably doesn’t hurt now that I live in an area where the snow doesn’t last long and the cold goes away pretty quickly.  It seems that I remember winters “Up North” lasting six to seven months or more!! OK, not really, but they sure are a lot longer than they are in South Carolina.  I love that I can have a cozy day or two and then get back to my regular routine.

DSC04272Watching the snow also made me start thinking about how winter can affect a vineyard.  Obviously, the climate can be quite different depending on where it is located, but that doesn’t change the fact that vines go through a cycle every year.  After harvest time; the vines turn woody, their roots dive deep into the soil for nutrients and they create carbohydrates that help protect them through the winter.  When the first frost occurs, the leaves fall and the vines go dormant.  Although this is a time of rest for the vines, it is an active time for the farmer.

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Pruning of the vines is done now, either by hand or machine, to shape the vines and create the best growing conditions for that particular variety of grape.  The basic process for this time of year appears quite simple, but every vineyard has different requirements for how things are done based on the climate, the varietals that are grown and the vineyard management preferences.

There is also activity in the winery and tasting rooms.  Since it is a slower time of year, paperwork is done, fun events are scheduled and the winemaker carefully watches over their wine.  Depending on the type of winery, they may tweak it or let nature make the decisions.  A lot more occurs during this time, but that will be left for another article.

DSC04276If you can, try to visit a vineyard in the winter. You won’t be disappointed.  Every season has its reason to visit, the best part of winter is being able to see the beauty in the vineyard while the vines sleep.  You get this time to enjoy the silence, watch the animals, see the farmers working and dream of the magic that will occur once again the next year.
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Thanks to Overmountain Vineyards in Tryon, NC for letting me take these winter photos!

BIG WHITE HOUSE & JOHN EVAN CELLARS: Livermore, CA

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Where it All Began!!

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With our move to California in 2016, we began to explore the Livermore Wine Valley.  This unique area is one of the oldest wine regions in the state.  The first vineyard was planted here in 1882 and produced its’ first award winning wine in 1889.

As we began to explore, we encountered a two-label winery which uses grapes sourced from other local vineyards.  The original BIG WHITE HOUSE (BWH) label was created by John “The Elder” Marion by making wines out of the family home with friends.  It was his son, John Evan Marion, who created the label JOHN EVAN that we had the pleasure to meet and try his personal premium wines.  He has been involved with the winery since the beginning and is one of the youngest wine makers in the valley in his 30s.

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John Evan, the winemaker!

Upon arriving at the winery, we were surprised to find a pretty, but unpretentious pole barn instead of our anticipated Big White House (we later learned that John Evans lives in that house in the town of Livermore).  The rolling hills surrounding the structure are covered in stunning green vines and provide a beautiful wine country backdrop.

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The open tasting room features a standing only bar along one wall, with white rafters and an industrial ceiling overhead.  The walls are packed with beautiful artwork from Laura Marion, the winemakers sister.  You will also find her designs on the wine bottle labels, often featuring John Evans himself.  We were greeted warmly and had a tasting of his incredible white and red wines.  We were particularly lucky to partake in a barrel tasting, which occurs most weekends.  WOW!!!  This was eye opening.  We tasted a smooth and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon called THE DEBONAIRE.  The wine has an incredible cherry and vanilla aroma and broadens to a fruit flavor as you taste; it had us hooked.  We bought futures (wine to be bottled on a later date) on the spot.  His small-lot, Rhone-type variety wines are not to be missed.

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The current wine tasting list includes:

  • BWH 2015 Riesling, La Estancia Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
  • BWH 2015 Lapsus, Roussanne/ Viognier/ Grenache Blanc, Ripken Vineyard, Lodi
  • BWH 2014 Sangiovese, Ripken Vineyard, Lodi
  • BWH 2015 Zinfandel, Sblendorio Estate Vineyard, Livermore
  • BWH 2014 Alfie’s Amalgamation Zinfandel/ Petite Sirah/ Cabernet Sauvignon
  • JOHN EVAN, THE DEBONAIRE, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Clark Vineyard, Livermore
  • JOHN EVAN, 2015 Cuvee Juliette, Cote-Rotie-Style Syrah, Livermore
  • Member only: BWH 2010 Petite Sirah, Sblendorio Vineyard, Livermore 

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    Barrels and equipment at the working winery 

The atmosphere of the winery feels like home as we were able to talk at length with John Evans and watch as he lovingly worked with his wines.  This is definitely a working winery and you feel as if you might have had a small part in the creation of these masterpieces.

To learn more about them please go to: www. bigwhitehouse.com

 

 

 

How my Wine Adventures Began

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Let me preface this blog by saying that I am a girl from Wisconsin that grew up with beer, brats, and cheese.

I believed that wine came in three types: Red, White, and Pink, with Pink being the wine of choice. I also did not drink much and was usually the designated driver.

Fast forward a lot of years, a lot of moves, and a lot of changes.  I had two wonderful children, moved with my husband from Wisconsin to Missouri, to Texas, then California, and now South Carolina.  Let me back up a bit to, Ahhhhh, California.  My first taste of real wine, in my mind at least.  No, we did not live in Napa, but between two wonderful wine valleys.  This was my first real taste and a learning experience of what wine could be.  First, however, I had to learn how to taste wine, not just drink it.  Am I a pro yet? Not even close.  This new experience of having hundreds of wineries so close gave us great ways to spend our weekends and learn something new.  California began my love affair with wine, but also taught me to look beyond Napa.  Nothing against Napa, they have some of the best wines in the world, but when you realize that there are other places in the United States that have great wines, the adventure has only just begun.

After California, we moved to South Carolina and I thought the wine adventures were done.  I was soooo wrong; thank goodness.  This move helped me to discover great wine regions exist in all areas of the United States, from South Carolina to North Carolina, Tennessee to Texas, and Missouri to Oregon. I am not a wine critic, but will share my opinions of different wines and what makes wineries and vineyards great places to visit.  I am as much about the atmosphere and location as I am about the wines themselves.  I hope to take you on this adventure with me and to experience areas beyond Napa that produce great wines and provide great adventures for those willing to take the leap.