HOT OFF THE GRAPE PRESS

APRIL 2010
Vol. 14, No. 1 – The “I AM HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING, SO I GUESS I DON’T QUALIFY TO BE AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER” Edition.

And the reason I am having trouble is that I need to come out and tell you that I am bi….well, bi-coastal. Yes, I am commuting back and forth between the vineyard and the next most convenient place, Pasadena, California. So, in trying to keep on East Coast time and deal with Vermonters, who get into work an hour earlier than the rest of the world, well, my sleep pattern resembles a spin art picture. So, here I am in California (State motto : “Double double animal style with fries”) where, apparently, they have a thriving wine industry, which I hope to see if the traffic ever starts moving.

To Further Compete With UPS And FedEx, The United States Postal Service Used Passover To Unveil A New Way To Ship Jewish Grandmothers To Florida Called “Bubbie Wrap”.

And while we won’t be necessarily using this service, if you can’t make it up to the vineyard when we re-open on May 1st, we can ship our wine to you at any time where permittted. Here are our currently available wines, along with descriptions and prices (taxes and shipping not included):

`10 ESTATE SEYVAL BLANC Just released. Apple, pear and melon notes. Dry with a smooth finish. $13.50.

`10 ESTATE VIDAL BLANC Just released. Pear and honeydew notes with a rich mouth feel in this medium-bodied wine. $13.50.

`10 ESTATE RIESLING Just released. Dry, yet refreshing. Pineapple nose, grapefruit mouth along with subtle peach and apricot undertones. $18.95.

SNOW WHITE 2009. An Estate Wine. Bronze Medal, 2009 Tasters Guild International Wine Competition. A nice, off-dry blend of Cayuga and Seyval. Enjoy with appetizers, cheese, spicier foods or seven friends. $11.95.

`09 ESTATE LEON MILLOT Rich, mellow, 100% oaked, earthy notes and smooth texture. Pairs well with most foods or stands alone. $14.00.

`10 ESTATE BACO NOIR Just released. Smooth tannins, black cherry and black berry aromas. Medium-bodied and very fruity. $14.00.

ROSE RED 2009. How can we say enjoy Snow White’s sister without sounding inappropriate? Delightfully fruity, sweet blend of Leon Millot, Baco Noir and Catawba that can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, like a Sangria. Pairs with Spanish or Mexican. $11.95.

`07 ESTATE VIGNOLES Late Harvest. We’re all over the map on this one. Some of us taste peach, almond and honey, others pear and orange zest, and still others taste pineapple and butterscotch. $25/375 ml.

`08 ESTATE VIDAL BLANC Ice wine. 87 Rating – Wine Spectator (Fifth highest rated U.S. produced ice wine). A very special wine with lots of exotic fruit, like mango and pineapple and leechee nuts. Nice honey on the palate too. Best served after dinner. Another excellent vintage! $45/375 ml.

So, please call or email us if you are interested in any of these wines. As stated above, we will be re-opening the tasting room for the season on May 1st and our hours will be 10 – 5 daily thru December 31st with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

It Might Not Be A Bad Idea To Have Corporate Sponsorships Of Government Buildings In Order To Deal With The Federal Debt Ceiling Issue, And I Can Envision Everything From The Barnes And Nobles Library Of Congress To The Viagra Washington Monument.

And I’m sure that if Donald Trump runs for and wins the presidency, he will be living in the newly named Trump House. But the fact that our brand new seasonal cafe is called “The Skinny Pancake at Snow Farm Cafe” does not mean we’ve sought out corporate sponsorship. We just thought it would be the easiest way to let folks know that two well-established and well-respected Vermont brands are joining forces to create an awesome dining experience at the vineyard. For those of you not familiar with the Skinny Pancake, they are at the forefront of the localvore movement with restaurants in Burlington and Montpelier. I could describe them, their mission and their menu in greater detail, but I would, instead, direct you to their website: www.skinnypancake.com. As for our joint venture, the cafe hours vary based on where we are in the season.

May – Opening May 28, 2011 Memorial Day Weekend, 11 am – 5 pm

June – Weekends, 11 am – 5 pm

Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm starting June 9.

July – Weekends 11 am – 5 pm

Wednesday, Fridays 11 – 5 pm starting July 6

Thursdays 11 am – 8:30 pm starting July 7

August – Weekends 11 am – 5 pm

Wednesday, Fridays 11 – 5 pm thru August 28

Thursdays 11 – 8:30 pm thru August 28

September – Weekends 11 am – 5 pm

Thursday 5:30 – 8:30 thru September 1st.

October – Weekends thru Applefest Weekend (check back for dates)

Maybe It’s Part Of The Mediation Process, But In A Page Taken From The Middle East, The NFL Released Its 2011 Schedule In Exchange For The Release Of Some Of Its Currently Incarcerated Players.

And in that same vein of good will, I am releasing this summer’s Thursday night concert schedule despite the fact that it’s not yet finished.

June 9 – Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino
June 16 – The Rythym Rockets
June 23 – Dirt Road
June 30 – Shakedown
July 4 (special Monday night concert) – TBA
July 7 – Jenni Johnson
July 14 – The High Rollers
July 21 – Quadra
July 28 – Phil Abair
August 4 – TBA
August 11 – Nobby Reed
August 18 – The Bone Killers
August 25 – TBA
Sept. 1 – The Starliine Rythym Boys

If you haven’t been to a concert, they are from 6:30 – 8:30 (although they start a little earlier in late August) with picnicking starting at 5:30. You’ll need to bring your own blankets, lawn chairs, etc. and you can bring your own food, but The Skinny Pancake, McKee’s Island Pizza and Island Beverage will be there with food if you don’t feel like cooking. Alcohol purchased off-site is not permitted on-site, but we do have our wine as well as beer available for purchase and, I promise, we keep the beer prices reasonable. The concerts are free, but weather-dependent (but we try to go forward if we can).

NPR’s Story On The Feds Shutting Of Online Poker Sites Was Entitled, “Busted” And All I Could Think Was that I Would Have Saved That Title For The Feds Shutting Of Porn Sites.

And, so I was thinking what have I done when, during my first week out here, a police car pulls up behind me on the highway with sirens blaring and the officer via bull horn demanding me to pull off at the next exit. Now I know all about California cops from having watched “Dirty Harry”, so I complied immediately. Upon approaching my car, the officer informs me that he had observed me weaving in and out of traffic for some time and that would mean only one of two things, that I was either intoxicated or fatigued. I then informed him of a third option – that I was from Vermont and I was just trying to get out of the way of the crazy drivers out here who pull up behind you going 80 mph in the two furthest lanes to the right rather than what I would consider to be the passing lanes on the left. I then proceeded to inform him of our two lane highways back in Vermont, where, for the most part, people pass on the left and then pull back over to the right. Well, after he finished laughing, the cop asked me if it was true that police cars back in Vermont still had only a single light on top of the vehicle (because he knows all about Vermont cops from watching “The Andy Griffith” Show) and then, in true California driving style, helped me make an illegal u-turn to get back on the highway.

Thanks for keeping us in mind for all of your wine needs.

Harrison

Harrison Lebowitz
Snow Farm Vineyard
190 West Shore Road
South Hero, VT 05486
(802) 372-9463
www.snowfarm.com

OCTOBER 2010
Vol. 14, No. 3 – A truncated version

THE “HOW COME WHEN MY SON HEARD THAT PROTESTORS IN FRANCE RECENTLY DESTROYED A SCHOOL, HE STARTED HANGING SIGNS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF HIS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION READING “WE ARE SYMPATHETIC TO YOUR CAUSE REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS” EDITION.

Did anyone else see the irony in demonstrators protesting retirement changes in France burning down a grade school? I mean, under the current system, grade schoolers are the only ones who aren’t old enough to retire. But, I did like the fact that at least my son stays current when it comes to the news… that is until I inquired about his grades and he responded with the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy.

Ah, yes, but there’s an injunction on this policy and thus here’s what we have to tell. We will be releasing our 2010 Leon Millot Nouveau on Monday, October 25th at the 2010 Fall Wine Tasting at the Equinox in Manchester Village hosted by Farrell Distributing. A true Nouveau, vinted by the traditional method of carbonic maceration, captures not only the extraordinary 2010 growing season, but beats the release of the French Nouveau’s by weeks (and not just because transportation is about to come to a screaming halt in France). We will also be releasing our 2008 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine at this same event. Our wines, the only Vermont wines to have been rated by Wine Spectator magazine, recently received notice that Wine Spectator gave our 2008 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine an 87 Rating. This makes the 2008 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine the highest rated wine in New England.

The Nouveau will be selling for $11.95 a bottle and is very limited. The 2008 Vidal Blanc ice wine will be selling for $45 a bottle (375ml). If you are interested these or any of our other wines, please contact us.

We’re Almost Finished Tackling Our Harvest…Without Having to Launch Ourselves With Helmet To Helmet Contact.

The 2010 harvest is proving to be one of the best on record in both quality and quantity. In general, we had dry conditions, hot days and cool nights. In fact, I may never be able to write this again, but we were weeks ahead of Napa, Sonoma and Burgundy, where they’ve experienced just about the worse weather ever. More details to follow regarding quantities, release dates, etc., but we are taking pre-orders of both the just harvested Riesling and Pinot Noir. From now through Thanksgiving, the price of the 2010 Riesling is $18.95/bottle and the 2010 Pinot Noir is $19.95.

And finally, if you’re on the fence about whether to purchase wine at this time, let me remind you about the article in the October 10, 2010 issue of Psychology Today which explains Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol.

So, show your intelligence and give us a call.

Harrison

Harrison Lebowitz
Snow Farm Vineyard
190 West Shore Road
South Hero, VT 05486
(802) 372-9463
www.snowfarm.com

HOT OFF THE GRAPE PRESS

JULY 2010
Vol. 14, No. 2

THE “MY CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT BP INTENTIONALLY ALLOWED OIL TO FLOW INTO THE GULF SO THAT AMERICAN FOOD WOULD TASTE LIKE THEIRS” EDITION

So, it’s mid-summer and I figured I’d better get a newsletter out. I tried to get it out before the Tour de France ended, but I was distracted by everything…except the Tour de France. Personally, I ride my bike pretty much daily during the summer, but seriously, if a tree fell in a forest and no one was around, would anyone know if the Tour de France was over? And I just learned that, in regards to the Tour de France, there are times when it is improper etiquette to pass another cyclist….which explains why a guy wearing a beret, smoking a cigarette and toting a baguette perched in his front basket took Stage Six.

And for those of you with that kind of mentality…that biking is merely a way to justify the later consumption of food and wine – hop on your bike and take Local Motion’s bike ferry across the cut on the bike path from Burlington (or drive your car up) on weekends where we will greet you with your reward….wine and lunch! On weekends through Labor Day, Jennifer Prince is on-site with her creations, each an exquisite, delectable masterpiece. Her picnics are localvore… homegrown… truly from seed to sandwich… straight from her garden and pastoral kitchen. Perhaps she can entice you with a platter of her mini-tarts, each made to pair with a different one of our wines (it’s incorporating the philosophy behind Thomas Keller’s “French Laundry” restaurant in Napa, but not nearly as pricey), or let her suggest which of our wines goes best with her main fares. So, join us for a glass or bottle of wine and lunch at the vineyard!
To check out Jennifer’s menu in advance, please visit her website: www.vtsandwichgarden.com

Andrew Breitbart has not yet had the time to apologize to former Department of Agriculture employee Shirley Sherrod for the piece he placed on the internet distorting her views because he’s in the midst of editing a video that makes Glenn Beck appear rational.

That said, here is the unedited, unbiased, full and complete list of our currently available wines along with the per bottle prices:

`09 ESTATE SEYVAL BLANC
With hints of oak and similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, this new release is an extremely well-rounded wine. $13.50.

‘09 AMERICAN RIESLING
Dry Riesling. Grapefruit up front with hints of tangerine and apple. $17.95.

‘09 ESTATE VIDAL BLANC
Well-balanced with grapefruit, lemon and lime notes. Mel says, “Very quaffable” (ask Mel). Serve chilled but not cold. $13.50

`09 TRAMINETTE
The classic Gewürztraminer hybrid. Off-dry and spicy. Loaded with citrus notes, such as lemon, lime, grapefruit, apricot and orange. A little peach too. $17.95.

SNOW WHITE 2009.
An Estate Wine. Bronze Medal, 2009 Tasters Guild International Wine Competition. A nice, off-dry blend of Cayuga and Seyval. Enjoy with appetizers, cheese, spicier foods or seven friends. $11.95

`08 ESTATE LEON MILLOT
Rich, mellow, 100% oaked, earthy notes and smooth texture. Pairs well with most foods or stands alone. $ 14.00

`09 ESTATE BACO NOIR
A fruity medium bodied wine with spices and dark cherry in both the mouth and nose. Light tannins in the mouth. Pairs well with red meats. $14.00.

CRESCENT BAY RED
An Estate wine. Beautiful garnet colored medium bodied wine which brings out the best of Baco Noir, Leon Millot and Frontenac in this Meritage blend type wine. Lots of berry notes throughout, mellow, earthy and fruity with a smooth finish. $14.50

ROSE RED 2008
How can we say enjoy Snow White’s sister without sounding inappropriate? Delightfully fruity, sweet blend of Leon Millot, Baco Noir and Catawba that can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, like a Sangria. Pairs with Spanish or Mexican. $11.95

`07 ESTATE VIGNOLES
Just like our 2007 Tasters Guild Wine Lovers International Competition Gold Medal Winner. We’re all over the map on this one. Some of us taste peach, almond and honey, others pear and orange zest, and still others taste pineapple and butterscotch. Regardless, it’s a great late harvest dessert wine! $25.00 (375ml)

`07 ESTATE VIDAL
Ice wine. 86 Rating – Wine Spectator. 85 Rating – Wine Enthusiast. Silver Medal, 2009 Tasters Guild International Wine Competition. A very special wine with lots of exotic fruit, like mango and pineapple and lychee nuts. Nice honey on the palate too. Best served after dinner. Another excellent vintage! $ 45.00 (375 ml)

Call or e-mail if you are interested in any of these wines. FYI we are starting to run low on the Traminette.

Apparently food safety is becoming a huge issue at major league venues, but only at Camden Yards in Baltimore have less people suffered from food poisoning than those who have gotten sick from watching the Orioles play.

But it is pretty sad when a fan recently ran onto the field at Camden Yards during a Baltimore Orioles’ game for two minutes and it gave the Oriole fans the two most exciting minutes they’ve had all year (full disclosure: I am from Baltimore). As for what’s been going on up here, well, in late June, we were the kick off point for a farm bike tour of our county, which our local Fox affiliate covered. In late June, I also had the great pleasure of hosting gold medal skater Peggy Fleming and her husband Greg Jenkins here for an afternoon (Peggy and Greg have a vineyard in California). They brought a bottle of wine made from grapes she got from her neighbor, John Madden (now you know what he does when he’s not working on video games). They’re going to be hosting me at their place in California at the end of this week where I’ll have a chance to ask Peggy the question I forgot to ask her here – Do you stomp grapes in the traditional manner or do you incorporate some sort of triple lutz?

I also wanted to let you know that although we are half-way through our concert series, we have added one additional date. On September 11, from 6:00 until 8:00 we will be holding a concert to raise funds for the South Hero Volunteer Fire Department. Music will be by the perennial crowd-pleasing band, 314.

And, finally, for those of you who are local, I will be instructing a course in Wine Appreciation this Fall through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Vermont. Details are still being worked on, primarily location and cost, but it will be held on seven consecutive Tuesdays from 5 until 7 p.m. starting on September 28 with a field trip to Snow Farm scheduled for October 9. Among other things, I’ll be talking about growing grapes, making wine, wines of the world, tasting of wines, and wine issues and regulations, but, yes, we’ll also be drinking. I believe the class is limited to 20 participants and you must be 50 years old or older (but to make you feel good, I’ll still card you). For more details, get on OLLI’s website at learn.uvm.edu/olli or you can call 656-2085.

Once again, thanks for indulging me, and thanks for your continued support.

Harrison