Wine, Travel & Food News From Vino-Sphere: Sept. 8, 2017

A weekly round-up of news, notes and happenings

Champagne, Harvest and the Holy Spirit

Champage Drappier reports from the harvest in Champagne, France. “The crush kicked off on Tuesday, the 5th of September. A very nice harvest is underway with highly promising acid and sugar ratios. Admittedly, the frost severely damaged our estate in April, however, the season was especially good and provided a second generation of bunches, thereby allowing our Pinot Noirs to partly catch up their delay,” explained Michel Drappier. André Drappier, who is almost 91 years old, Michel and his son, Hugo, are pleased to harvest superb Pinots from the locality called Saint Esprit (Holy Spirit). This name was derived from the Cistercian estates, belonging to the abbey of Clairvaux, several parcels of which, are now owned by the Drappier family. Since its foundation in 1808, the Champagne house has been managed by the Drappier family, the origins of which go back to Rémy Drappier in 1604, who, like Nicolas Ruinart, was a merchant in Reims. One ancestor, Francois Drappier, moved to Urville in 1805 and became a vine-grower, three years later.

Buttonwood Wins NY Governor’s Cup

Each year, a group of experts gather at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel of the Finger Lakes Region to sample the best of the best in New York Wines. It's a competition called the New York Wine and Food Classic, sometimes referred to as  “The Oscars” of New York Wine.

On August 8^th& 9^th, 21 judges sampled 915 wine, 27 hard cider and 16 craft spirit entries, and have the tough task of choosing which are their favorites in each category. The top prize at this competition is the prestigious Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice that recognizes the "Best of Show" or top prize of all the entries in the Classic. This year's Governor's Cup winner is Buttonwood Grove, a member of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Their 2016 Riesling came out on top, among 958 entries.

Ferrari Trento Is Official Sparkling Wine At Emmys

Ferrari Trento returns as official sparkling wine of the Emmy® Awards Season for the third consecutive year, bringing a touch of Italian style to the long - awaited event of American television scheduled for September 17 in Los Angeles.

The theme chosen this year by the Television Academy for the Governors Ball, which follows the awards ceremony, is the match between elegance and sustainability. This choice is in concert with the practices of the winery. Ferrari makes elegance the distinctive feature of its Trentodoc bubbles and pursues sustainability throughout its activity both in the vineyard and in cellar.

Michter's Distillery Offers First Release of US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye

This month Michter's Distillery is releasing a limited amount of US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye for the first time. Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye is made by taking Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye at barrel strength and then aging it for an additional period in a second custom-made barrel. This second barrel is assembled from 24-month air dried wood and then toasted but not charred. The toasting profile was specifically designed to enhance the spice character in the rye while adding hints of dark toast and smoke. Because Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye is a barrel strength product, the proof varies a bit from barrel to barrel. The average barrel proof for the toasted rye barrels bottled for this release is 108.6. Because Michter's does not have adequate stocks to meet demand for its items, the release will be on a limited basis. SRP is $75.

Giò and Wine Trees Partner to Introduce Pinot Grigio Rosé and Pinot Grigio

September 5, 2017 (Santa Rosa, CA) – Wine Trees, a distributor focused on interesting small lot wines, has partnered with Italian wine collective Giò (pronounced “joe”) have partnered to launch the Giò 2016 Pinot Grigio (delle Venezie IGP) and 2016 Pinot Grigio Rosé (Veneto IGP) wines into the U.S. Market.

The strategic partnership brings Giò’s unique Pinot Grigio Rosé (Rosato in Italian) to the U.S. for the first time. Although Pinot Grigio is a red-skinned grape, few Pinot Grigio wines are made into Rosé; the Giò Pinot Grigio Rosé is macerated on the Pinot Grigio grape skins for nearly 48 hours, giving it a lovely pale pink color and imparting the generous palate with ripe red fruit and a bright minerality (SRP $11.99). The Pinot Grigio (SRP $11.99) is delicate yet complex; round with bright acidity, generous citrus notes, and nice structure. Giò is short for giòvane, the Italian word for “young”.   dates back to 1948 and, today, helps support 1,300 families. They are farmers first and take great pride in the land and vineyards behind Giò.

Winesellers Ltd. Celebrates 40 Years

Winesellers, Ltd. celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year, marking a two-generation legacy as an acclaimed importer and marketer of quality wines from around the globe.  The Niles, IL-based family-run company was founded in November 1977 by Yale Sager. The company is now overseen day-to-day by his two sons, Adam and Jordan.

Vendange Carmel Inn Announces Wine-Themed Room by Carmel Road Winery

Carmel Road wines are inspired by the wind and the waves that define Monterey, which in turn inspired the vision for the Carmel Road wine room at the Vendange Inn. “We were honored to be selected to bring one of their suites to life with the Carmel Road look and feel,” says Chrissy Gray, Carmel Road tasting room manager. “We chose cool blue and seafoam green tones to give guests that tranquil feeling of being at the beach. Think upscale picnic with your toes in the sand — with a wine glass in hand, of course!”

Gray says they wanted to bring to life the coastal, peaceful vibe found in Carmel, as well as in their tasting room, so they created several large photo canvases showcasing the nearby ocean, with a wine-themed twist. There’s also a beautiful nook under a wine rack where guests can sit and simply relax with a glass of Carmel Road Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

To really give guests a sense of what Carmel Road Winery has to offer, in the room they will find a selection of Carmel Road wines for purchase, information about their wine club as well as the winery, beautiful etched glasses, stone coasters, plush throw blankets, and complimentary tasting cards for up to four people.

Carmel Road joins 14 other wineries in partnership with Vendange to sponsor wine-themed rooms. Inland from Monterey’s rugged coastline, the winery tailors its viticulture and winemaking techniques to capture the compelling character of this windswept area.