Aug
25
Mt. Nittany Winery Tasting Notes
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[Note: This entry is delayed by roughly two weeks, but only because of a scheduling mishap. I'm still working out how to use WordPress for delayed posting. This entry (and the farm tour review) were lost in the shuffle.]
My experiences with Pennsylvania wineries have been a mixed bag. They’re generally either underwhelming or really good at one or two things. In the case of Mt. Nittany Vineyard & Winery, they were good at several. I was also impressed by the obvious investment in infrastructure and a sense of place. Traditionally, Pennsylvania has been a notoriously difficult place to be in the alcohol business. With the changes over the past few years, and with the emphasis on sustainable farming and wine as an agricultural product, we’ve seen a steady improvement in the ability of farms to produce quality wine and compete in the marketplace.
That being said, many things are still impossible for a Pennsylvania winery. For instance, our friends at Chateau Chantal in Michigan own vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina. They grow Malbec grapes there, and harvest and ship them to their estate in Michigan for vinification. The result is a consistently superb Malbec. Something like that would be impossible in Pennsylvania because any fruit sourced from beyond Pennsylvania’s borders must come from a vineyard within 300 miles of the winery (or perhaps of the state; I still need to check the relevant statutes).
Enough about Pennsylvania’s LCB woes; you’re here for the wine!
Saturday was a busy day at Mt. Nittany Winery, with space at the bar in the tasting room limited. I was there with the Farm Tour, so tasting was free. I don’t think there is normally a fee, but if there is it should be less than $10.
A tasting sheet was provided, with six tastes allowed. By sharing two, we each tasted seven. The pours were generous, and I felt some effects by the end and needed some time before attempting to drive back down the twisting roads of Linden Hall back to Boalsburg and onward to Bellefonte.
I would love to tell you what vintage these wines were, but I forgot my tasting journal and am really kicking myself for that this evening as I try to recreate these notes from memory.
The first wine I tasted was the Pinot Grigio. I don’t know why I always try the Pinot Grigio. I suppose I’m hoping I’ll find that one, transcendent Pinot that makes it worth drinking all the others I’ve tried and haven’t really liked. Unfortunately, this was not the One True Pinot Grigio. It started out well, perhaps a bit too chilled, with hints of flowers and apricots on the nose. I could swear I smelled cheddar, too, but my partner insists I’m making that up. The finish faded too fast for me and I was left with a watery feel in my mouth.
The first red I tasted was the Montage. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. It was a pleasant blend, a little light on the Cab Franc for my taste, but certainly a respectable effort. I unfortunately cannot remember much about the taste of this one other than that the oakiness was just about perfect.
Next up was the full Cabernet Franc. I’ve tasted so many of this variety that exhibit a green fruit flavor from premature harvesting that I wasn’t expecting much from a Pennsylvania winery. I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t green pepper that showed itself, but red. A juicy, herbaceous red pepper with subtle cherries and tobacco overtones. Although a little thin in mouthfeel, it won me over with its peppery aftertaste. I can’t imagine it improving much with aging, so we’ll probably drink this one soon.
Moving back to the whites, I tasted the Riesling. I loved this wine! Riesling holds a special place in my heart. It is the wine that introduced me to the wine world, and is one of the few whites I drink regularly. There are distinct characteristics I look for in a good Riesling, and this one missed most of them. The acid was there, but instead of apples with the apricots, it had lychee. I had to check the label on the bottle to be certain this wasn’t a Gewürztraminer! Clearly someone here knew what they were doing when confronted with a grape that doesn’t want to fit the usual Riesling mold: just follow it where it wants to go, even if that involves dressing up like another wine.
The final three wines I tasted were dessert wines. Vignoles is one of my favorite dessert wines, despite the fact that it is one of those sweet dessert wines I often cannot pair with anything and wind up drinking on its own. I think this is a perfectly respectable way to drink it. This one was delicious, naturally sweet, and full of the flavor of pears.
Autumn Nectar was like golden honey on the tongue. In fact, if I didn’t know better, this one could have passed for an Eiswein. While it is made much like an Eiswein, it cannot be called one because the grapes did not freeze on the vine.
The final wine on the list was Spiced Apple. This wine quite literally starts out as apple cider: they buy the fruit pre-crushed from a nearby orchard. The wine itself is spiced with cinnamon and would be perfect hot or cold. We enjoyed it cold because it was summer, but this wine would hold up for dessert year-round.
Bottom line: If you like white wines, Mount Nittany Winery is your place. They do a respectable job on the reds, but whites are definitely where they shine.
Aug
25
2008 Centre County Farm Tour
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[Note: This entry is delayed by roughly two weeks, but only because of a scheduling mishap. I'm still working out how to use WordPress for delayed posting. This entry (and the Mt. Nittany Winery review) were lost in the shuffle.]
We began our Farm Tour in Millheim at the Farmer’s Market for our weekly produce shopping. We had not intended to begin the tour so early — before ten o’clock in the morning — but the festivities were clearly underway. Parking was at a premium at the American Legion so we parked along the entrance road. Only a few of the usual vendors were there, with most of the stall space taken up by information tables on local farming and sustainable agriculture. There were also several guitarists playing folk songs. Overall, it was much more crowded than usual. I don’t deal well with large groups of noisy people, so we opted to buy a few items and head home. We had tickets for chicken dinners at the Pleasant Gap American Legion.
I don’t know if this is a Pennsylvania thing, and we didn’t see any of it in Michigan, but pretty much every fire department, church, and youth group will have at least one chicken barbecue fundraiser in the summer. If you wanted to, you could eat chicken every Saturday from May to October. The chicken is often hit or miss, but if the group doing the fundraiser knows what they are doing, it’ll be amazing. Unfortunately, everyone in the area knows which groups do the best chicken, so when those groups have their sale you have to get there early.
After a chicken dinner that couldn’t be beat, we headed off for the farm tour. We began by traveling back over Centre Hall Mountain to Full Circle Farms. We were met by Daisy the sheep, a farm pet who was showing Marie, an exchange student from France, around the farm. Located in Spring Mills, and owned and operated by Sabine and Thomas Carey, this organic farm also has its own Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Share program. We hope to participate in this next year, and it was nice to see where they grow their food. We were able to see most of their operation, including free-range chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Among the turkeys were several of the somewhat rare Red Bourbon turkeys they raise. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the birds), these are all raised as breeding stock to be sold to other farms and are not available for sale to the general public. (The quest to taste a Red Bourdon continues!)
We then went back to our car and headed to Mount Nittany Vineyard & Winery, which was to be the last stop on our abbreviated tour and is detailed in the next entry.
Aug
25
Mount Nittany Inn to Reopen
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I am very much looking forward to the return of the Mount Nittany Inn this October. It has been six years since I’ve been there, and five since the first fire destroyed the property. It wasn’t at all clear they’d return, but they have. Centre County is about to get one of its better restaurants back and I couldn’t be happier!
Aug
11
Centre Hall Mountain Closed
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Pennsylvania’s State Route 144 over Centre Hall Mountain closed this morning and will remain so for the remainder of the week. It is unclear whether it will be reopened on Saturday in time for the Millheim Farmers’ Market, or if it won’t be reopened until Monday for Centre County Grange Fair traffic. It will be reclosed after the conclusion of the Grange Fair and will remain so for most of the month of September.
We’re going to need an alternate route to Millheim this weekend, and probably until the end of September. Fortunately, travelling from Bellefonte to Millheim via Madisonburg Mountain takes only slightly more time than travelling over Centre Hall Mountain does. You may need to make similar arrangements. The official detour involves 45 and 220, which may work better for you, but for me it makes a 30-minute trip into at least 45 minutes.
Aug
8
Launch!
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Welcome to The Centre Gourmand!
I’ve had this site in development for over a year now, and it and my life are finally at a point where I can give this project the attention it deserves. I hope you’ll join me as I seek out the best culinary experiences Centre County has to offer — and it does have a lot to offer. From the restaurants and the numerous farmer’s markets to the Community Supported Agriculture programs and the presence and support of a world-class university with food and farming as a primary focus, I think this is going to be a fun and rewarding experience.
So come along. Let’s find something good to eat!
Aug
8
3rd Annual Centre County Farm Tour
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I’m firming up my schedule for Saturday’s Farm Tour. I am currently thinking about visiting three sites on the tour.
First, I plan to start with the Millheim Farmer’s Market at 10 a.m. The Tour doesn’t officially begin until 12:30 p.m., but the Market is open earlier. I’ll do the week’s veggie and meats shopping and probably stick around for the cooking demo by High Street Pub from Bellefonte, PA.
Since I’ll have a cooler and the weather looks to be mild, I’m not running my purchases back home right away. Instead, I’m heading to Spring Mills to visit Sabine and Thomas Carey’s Full Circle Farms. The Carey’s run a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm Share program. I didn’t have my act together last winter in time to become a member, but I’m planning to participate next year and want to check out the farm. This is also the farm that raises Red Bourbon turkeys, which had me terribly excited earlier this week when I discovered it.
I’m looking for one more site to visit after Full Circle Farms, but I plan to round out the day at Mount Nittany Winery near Boalsburg. I’ve had several of their wines and have been impressed by what they’ve managed to achieve here in Centre County. I don’t expect the sort of accomplishments I’ve seen in Michigan, and I admit I was spolied by Michigan’s Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas, but I do anticipate quality winemaking. Expect a full tasting rundown early next week.
If you are planning to attend any of the farm tour, leave a comment or email me, cg AT this domain name. Maybe we can put together a piece detailing everyone’s experiences since no one person can visit them all! I know I’m looking forward to it.
Aug
4
Centre County Local Foods Week
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Centre County’s Local Foods Week starts this Tuesday at the Boalsburg Farmer’s Market. This will be an event to see, with a cooking demo by one of the Centre Gourmand’s favorite local chefs, Chef Sean Kelly of Kelly’s Steak & Seafood.
More information is available from the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.
The highlight of the week will be the third annual Centre County Farm Tour on Saturday. Tickets are $10 per car, $3 per bike, and are available at any of the farms on the tour. Look for a hardcopy map and guide for the tour in the Friday, August 8, 2008, Centre Daily Times Weekender.
The Centre Gourmand will be at the Millheim Farmer’s Market for his weekly vegetable and meat buying trip on Saturday. He’ll probably also go to one or two other sites on the tour, but with so much to see it would take several years of Farm Tours to get through it all.
