I hear you! Every time I'm in the US, I'm shocked by the selection (or lack thereof) that's sold by supermarkets and liquor stores. Last year when I was in Tennessee and Georgia, I managed to find some local wines that were quite good (and others that were quite bad). But I always enjoy the mission!
Yeah unfortunately the selection at supermarkets and liquor stores is often limited to mostly mass market bottles from a select few producers, though some do a decent job of sourcing at least a few interesting options. Cool that you were able to try Tennessee and Georgia wines! We have not had a chance to try any yet, though I imagine it's quite a challenge to produce good quality wine grapes in most parts of those states given the climate. At any rate, it's always still a worthwhile experience to discover something new. Cheers!
Just bought my first NJ wine a few weeks ago, though haven't opened it yet. A dry 100% Cab Franc. Seeing as how well that grows in the FLX area, I have high hopes for it being more than decent. Also bought my first New Mexico wine (Petite Sirah) and Arizona (Mourvedre). And lastly, I reached out to an Alaskan winery but they couldn't ship to me, boooo. Though I did find ONE from that state that could, so that shit's happening in the new year!
Nice, let us know how it is! I think Zach has only had white wines from NJ, but I've had some pretty awesome Cab Franc from the Hudson Valley area in NY where it grows well, so I can see how there might be some "overlapping terroir," so to speak.
And Petite Sirah is one of my favorite varietals, so very interested in how that goes for you -- I've had an incredible Aglianico from New Mexico by way of Hye Meadow winery in Texas that sourced the grapes for one of their wines from there in 2013.
Anyway what are they growing in Alaska??? Vidal for ice wine or something?
Technically only berries in Alaska - though some rare berries like Haskap and Saskatoon, which they make into dry wine, also gooseberry dry wine and rhubarb dry wine.
There’s a group currently working to grow wine grapes in Alaska and they’re halfway there, we hope to interview them in the new year about what they’ve been up to the past few years, figuring Alaska’s terroir out for wine purposes. For now, though, wineries buy grapes from elsewhere (much like your Texas winery bought the New Mexico grapes) and then make wine in Alaska, but no grapes come from there. Still exicted to see what they’ve done so far regardless!
I hear you! Every time I'm in the US, I'm shocked by the selection (or lack thereof) that's sold by supermarkets and liquor stores. Last year when I was in Tennessee and Georgia, I managed to find some local wines that were quite good (and others that were quite bad). But I always enjoy the mission!
Yeah unfortunately the selection at supermarkets and liquor stores is often limited to mostly mass market bottles from a select few producers, though some do a decent job of sourcing at least a few interesting options. Cool that you were able to try Tennessee and Georgia wines! We have not had a chance to try any yet, though I imagine it's quite a challenge to produce good quality wine grapes in most parts of those states given the climate. At any rate, it's always still a worthwhile experience to discover something new. Cheers!
Just bought my first NJ wine a few weeks ago, though haven't opened it yet. A dry 100% Cab Franc. Seeing as how well that grows in the FLX area, I have high hopes for it being more than decent. Also bought my first New Mexico wine (Petite Sirah) and Arizona (Mourvedre). And lastly, I reached out to an Alaskan winery but they couldn't ship to me, boooo. Though I did find ONE from that state that could, so that shit's happening in the new year!
Nice, let us know how it is! I think Zach has only had white wines from NJ, but I've had some pretty awesome Cab Franc from the Hudson Valley area in NY where it grows well, so I can see how there might be some "overlapping terroir," so to speak.
And Petite Sirah is one of my favorite varietals, so very interested in how that goes for you -- I've had an incredible Aglianico from New Mexico by way of Hye Meadow winery in Texas that sourced the grapes for one of their wines from there in 2013.
Anyway what are they growing in Alaska??? Vidal for ice wine or something?
Technically only berries in Alaska - though some rare berries like Haskap and Saskatoon, which they make into dry wine, also gooseberry dry wine and rhubarb dry wine.
There’s a group currently working to grow wine grapes in Alaska and they’re halfway there, we hope to interview them in the new year about what they’ve been up to the past few years, figuring Alaska’s terroir out for wine purposes. For now, though, wineries buy grapes from elsewhere (much like your Texas winery bought the New Mexico grapes) and then make wine in Alaska, but no grapes come from there. Still exicted to see what they’ve done so far regardless!