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Local
Produce and Local Wine: A Perfect Pairing!
In these trying economic times, it is
important to place our dollars carefully, so that we make
wise purchases, and support our local businesses and farms.
During this "Buy Local Challenge" month, think outside
the box. Buy local produce to support Maryland’s farms,
and buy local wine to support Maryland's growing rural economy!
Check out your local farmers market or wine shop and see if
they carry Maryland wine. If they don't, ask them to carry
your favorite!
MD
WINE GOOD FOR THE STATE. Maryland’s wine industry
not only produces quality wine, but has a major economic impact
on our state. Maryland wineries generated $40.4 million in
2007. Direct revenues from winemaking and other activities
totaled $12.7 million. Continue drinking your favorite wine,
and support the local economy by making it a bottle of Maryland's
best!
“"EAT
FRESH, BUY LOCAL." That is the tag line from the
Governor’s Message for the “Buy Local Challenge”
of 2009. The “Buy Local Challenge,” held
during the last full week of July, creates a venue for fresh,
fun and delectable food.
 Farmer’s
markets, home-made ice cream, hand-crafted, elegant wine—every
reason why local stores and locally-owned businesses attract
us year-round and appease our tastebuds (and waistlines) is
the focus of the “Buy Local Challenge.”
This July, there are a number of events
to not only help you find the authentic, earthy goods you
love and need, but also help keep local markets and businesses
growing. So much of what we consume isn’t local, so
the “challenge” is to use more Maryland-produced
items—at least one per day.
You can find local Maryland agriculture
producing everything from fresh corn and lettuce to delicious
wine and cheese. Anything you need, Maryland’s got it.
• Take
the challenge!
•
Find out where to purchase local produce.
GrapeView:
Riesling
Riesling Grapes, which are also known
as Johannisberg Riesling, White Riesling, Weisser Riesling,
Rheinriesling, and Riesling Renano have been grown in Germany’s
Rhine and Mosel valleys since the 14th Century.
Riesling grapes have late ripening cycles,
which allow them the time to extract the minerals and trace
elements from the soil. Having such late ripening cycles not
only gives Riesling wines a distinct flavor, but it allows
for a wide spectrum of wines from dusty dry to magnificently
sweet.
Riesling vines are hard wooded which
allows them to be quite tolerant to cooler weather conditions.
They also bud late, which means that they are suited to cooler
wine growing regions. Read
more online.
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A view of Little Ashby Vineyards, whose owner and winemaker
is profiled this month.
Profile:
Warren Rich,
Little Ashby Vineyards
Charles Baudelaire, prominent French
poet, once wrote, “Beauty is the sole ambition, the
exclusive goal of Taste.” Taste is what Warren
Rich has framed his life around. Warren Rich, owner and winemaker
of Little Ashby Vineyards, is a modern Renaissance man. Educated
in the school of chemistry, a confident lawyer with his own
practice, a sophisticated winemaker, a loving dog owner—you
name it, this man has it covered.
“I’ve always been a wine
lover—I always loved Italian wine—and I was always
interested in chemistry,” says Rich.
Warren Rich began his search for wine
property back in 1992, traveling throughout California’s
Napa Valley to Oregon, where he initially thought he’d
begin his winemaking career.
But his wife, Lynne (co-owner of Little
Ashby), encouraged the purchase of land belonging to an old
estate in Talbot County. Warren and Lynne first planted
their vineyard in 1992 before their house was even renovated.
Read
more online.
Our
First Ever TwitterHunt
Stay tuned to our Twitter
updates during the month of July. We will ask you a question
about Maryland wine, and the first person to respond will
receive two free tickets to The
Maryland Wine Festival® (Maryland's oldest wine fest),
on September 19 & 20!
Wine News
MD
Wine a Growth Industry. New winery ventures
are contributing
to this burgeoning agricultural sector.
Like
Red Wine? White Wine? Green Wine? Sustainable practices
are becoming
the norm in winemaking.
Court
Puts Cork in Wine Shop Shipping. In the latest major
court decision on wine shipping, the Second Circuit Court
of Appeals tells
out-of-state wine shops to put a cork in it, stating that
they can't ship to New York consumers.
Widening
the Aisles in NJ & DE. Consumers and supermarkets
are
pushing for supermarket sales of wine & beer in New Jersey
and Delaware.
MD
Wine on DVD. Learn about wine through the expertise
of local vintners and experts in "Discovering Maryland
Wines," available via
Amazon.com. |
Buy Maryland Wine
We appreciate it when a store or restaurant makes the decision
to recommend local wines—and the local agriculture it
supports.
Retailer of the Month
The Liquor Pump
Parkville, Baltimore Co.
Restaurant of the Month
Chesapeake Inn
Chesapeake City, Cecil Co.
See
a listing of past
honorees —and please support these stores and restaurants!
Festivals
& Events
Our wineries offer a variety of special events—from
barrel tastings to concerts, wineries host events each weekend.
See
the full
list of upcoming events.
The
Maryland Wine Festival®
[details]
September 19-20, 2009
Sat 10-6 pm, Sun 12-6 pm
Carroll County Farm Museum
Westminster, Carroll County
Riverside
Winefest at Sotterley [details]
October 3-4, 2009
12-6 pm
Historic Sotterley
Hollywood, St. Mary's County
Eastern's
Bayside Blues & Wine Fest [details]
October 10, 2009
12-6 pm
Eastern Yacht Club
Essex, Baltimore County
Autumn
Wine Festival [details]
October 17-18, 2009
Pemberton Historical Park
Salisbury, Maryland
See
all 2009 festival dates!
Volunteers Needed!
Wineries need volunteers for the upcoming festivals to help
pour wines. Volunteers typically work half a day and gain
complementary entry to the festival. Learn
more and offer your help!
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July 2009 