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Wine Details
Price:
$12.95 per bottle
Description:
Our ERW comes from Jim Ward's award winning Eno River Vineyards in northern Durham County. This special field blend is made of 12 white grapes including: Vidal blanc, Traminette, Golden Muscat, Villard Blanc, Taminga, Blanc du Bois, Melody, Symphony, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Rkatsiteli. Harvested on August 26 & 27th. Aged in stainless.
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Varietal Definition
Blanc du Bois:
Developed at the University of Florida for use in that state, this white wine-producing grape with a flavor similar to Muscat has had medal-winning success for somewhat Riesling-like varietal still wine and blends of sparkling wine. Developed by John Mortenson of the Leesburg Research Station, it is the result of a cross between a Florida-developed hybrid (thought by some to be a V. aestivalis complex derivative) and the Cardinal table grape. Fertile, productive and hearty, it ripens in early July in Florida. A coldy hardy varietal,it is also resistant to Pierce's disease, but appears particularly vulnerable to Anthracnose and Black Rot.
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Melody:
Melody is a recent hybrid grape developed by the Geneva Research Station in New York State, used to produce light bodied white wines. Melody has yet to take any significant acreage away from the Cayuga in New York, but its cold hardiness and pleasant fruit and floral character have made it successful in the American Mid-West. Melody is a cross of Seyval Blanc with GW5 (Pinot Blanc x Ontario).
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Muscat:
Muscat, thought to be one of the oldest grape varieties, is grown worldwide. It is vinified in a multitude of styles, from still to sparkling, and dry to sweet to fortified. Also called Moscato, Moscatel and Muskateller, it is a sweetly aromatic, fruity grape that has many genetic variations and colors. It probably originated in Greece but maybe the independent sultanate of Muscat in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula had something to do with it. Over 200 different varieties and derivatives to the Muscat family exist today. Muscat Canelli, Orange Muscat and Black Muscat are varieties most planted in California, which makes primarily still wine. More unusual is Muscat fermented to total dryness, which leaves greater alcohol levels and no residual sugar. Some Muscats are aged in oak to provide additional complexity.Today’s recommended Muscats represent many of these styles, so use the tasting notes and percent of residual sugar - listed if provided by the winery - to find a wine you’ll enjoy. The more sugar and the lower the alcohol, the sweeter the wine, though wines above 10 percent alcohol can also be somewhat sweet.
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Petit Manseng:
This white wine-producing grape is being grown on small acreages in Virginia, notably by Chrysallis Vineyards. The vine originates in the Jurancon region of southwestern France, where it is highly regarded. Wines made from this variety in the Jurancon are typically of exceptionally high quality and can be very aromatic. Aromas of the wines are suggestive of cinnamon, peaches and pineapple. The best and most famous wines from the region are the Jurancon Moelleux. These are sweet wines, which are made from the small thick grapes that have been left on the vine well into November in order to concentrate natural sugars. This coupled with the grapes' natural high acidity, creates the ideal combination for great dessert wine production. The vine's loose clusters, and the high pergola training it receives in the Jurancon, limits Petit Manseng's susceptibility to rot. This is ideal for production in the humid conditions of Virginia. Unfortunately, the vine also requires an extended growing season. Only areas where e
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Rkatsiteli:
Widely grown in eastern Europe, this ancient vinifera reputedly originated in the Caucasus Mountains bordering Armenia and Turkey. Planted on small acreages in the Eastern U.S., mainly in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Makes noticably acidic, balanced white wine with flavors somewhat reminiscent of a spicy Gewurztraminer and Johannisberg Riesling blend.
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Vidal Blanc:
A white French hybrid once widely planted in the south of France, it is more suitable for growing in warm and humid climates like the South. These vines are prolific, producing large golden berries, suitable for eating out of hand as table grapes. When vinified, Villard Blanc makes a fruity, mildly intense white wine (somewhat Sauvignon Blanc like) of fairly neutral and simple flavors. Primarily used for blending.
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Villard Blanc:
French-american hybrid grape used mostly for making a fruity, mildly intense white wine of simple nature. Was widely planted in France until E.U. rules stipulated strict varietal combinations. It is now found mostly in the cooler regions of the Northern U.S. and Canada.
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Traminette:
'Traminette' is a late mid-season white wine grape which produces wine with pronounced varietal character likened to one of its parents, 'Gewürztraminer'. 'Traminette' is distinguished by its superior wine quality combined with good productivity, partial resistance to several fungal diseases, and cold hardiness superior to its acclaimed parent, 'Gewürztraminer'.
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Symphony:
The Symphony Grape was developed in California in the 1960's by Dr. Olmo at U.C. Davis. It is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. The fragrances and pleasant fruit flavors make it suitable for a white wine.
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Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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