Wine adventures for the road or at home

Published 8:00 am Friday, July 6, 2018

When you dream of summer, do your dreams include wine? If they do, consider making your dreams come true by touring two historic wineries that every oenophile should have on their wine-related bucket list or staying home and enjoying two wines — one from South America and one made right here in Texas.

Winery Road Trips 

Brotherhood Winery is located in the pastoral setting of tiny Washingtonville, New York, only a short drive from the frantic pace of New York City.

Founded in 1839, Brotherhood is America’s oldest winery. Jean Jacques, a Frenchman, planted the vines and dug the first cellars, which are still in use today. The cellars are not only the oldest, but the largest in the country.

During Prohibition, the winery managed to remain operational by selling only sacramental wine to clergy for religious purposes. The winery staff jokes about the “amazing increase in the clergy population during that era.” The cave-like cellars are a vast network of dimly lit passages with tunnels, iron-clad vaults, and even some of the massive original casks.

The rows of wooden casks in the winery give you the sense that in this place, time has stood still.

Brotherhood Winery also has a world-class eatery on the grounds. Zagat Restaurant Guide consistently gives high marks to its award-winning Vinum Café. The winery’s open, airy tasting room provides a chance to sample their delectable wine selection.

On the opposite coast is the Charles Krug Winery.

Founded in 1861, by Charles Krug and his wife, Caroline Bale, this winery used a cider press to crush its first grape harvest. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Charles Krug Winery is the oldest winery in California’s Napa Valley.

In 1882, they built the first public tasting and sales room in California. They were also the first Napa Valley winery to use French Oak barrels to age their wine. After Krug’s death in 1892, the winery went to the Moffitt family, who then sold it to Cesare Mondovi in 1943.

This year, the Mondovi family will celebrate 75 years of wine-making at the Krug winery with the release of some of its flagship 1944 Vintage Selection Cabernet series. They also plan commemorative tastings and other special events to mark this milestone.

Co-proprietor Peter Mondavi Jr. says they plan to continue to keep “the history, the legacy, experience, and wisdom alive” through the succeeding generations. 

Taste And Enjoy 

Uruguay is not usually a country that comes to mind when you think of fine wine, but their newest launching of the 2016 Bodega Garźon Tannat Reserva  will get your attention. Located only 11 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, a number of vineyards  cover the hillsides and slopes, allowing the grapes to benefit from the varying micro-climates and allowing for full exposure to the sun for perfect fruit development.

The Reserva is made with the country’s national grape, the Tannat, and will be especially appealing to Malbec lovers. The famous Mendoza, Argentina wine region lies west of Uruguay and if you love the Mendoza wines, this upstart from Uruguay may become your new favorite.

Another must-have for this summer’s wine list is as handy in the kitchen as it is in the glass. Windy Winery’s Jal-Spice wine will give both your palate and your cooking a flavorful kick. At their Brenham, Texas, winery, August and Linda Meitzen have produced a semi-dry jalapeno wine that you can add to your next barbeque wine list, or use it as a marinade for the shrimp, steak, oysters or chicken you plan to grill.

This Texas original is semi-sweet at first taste, and then followed by a warm spicy feeling, not too hot, just peppery and delicious. 

Tamra Bolton is a freelance writer based in East Texas.