VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
New England Fall Brings Cool Wines
When fall comes to New England, thoughts turn to apples, pumpkins, dead leaves, cold rain...oh wait, let's stay on fruits and vegetables...pears, and squash. Our thoughts turn, of course, to grapes, and the burgeoning Massachusetts' wine region.
Cape Crush Co-Op
As members of the Cape Crush Co-op, we'll be heading to Cape Cod in a few weeks, 30 freshly cleaned/sanitized empty bottles in tow, to claim our 2010 stash of Frank Puzio's marvelous Cab/Merlot/Malbec blend. No, Frank doesn't grow these grapes on the Cape's sandy soil; he trucks them in from California's best wine regions. The alchemy is handled in the winery built into the Puzios' gorgeous Yarmouthport home.
Don't bother looking for VinoDuo in that crush photo, right. Last year, we conveniently arrived on the Cape after all the hard work had been done, but just in time for the post-crush wine and goodies. If you want to enjoy Cape Cod Co-op wine, you've gotta pay your dues...Dr. Frank's (he's a noted Cape eye doctor) red blends are only available through the Co-Op.
Turtle Creek Winery
Another local hero has already made the transition from gentleman farmer to full-time commercial winemaker. Kip Kumler of Turtle Creek Winery in Lincoln, MA has something of a hybrid operation. He imports some of his fruit from California and upstate New York, but also grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Riesling in Lincoln. Turtle Creek's Fall Tasting event brings Kip's devoted customers into the winery for an afternoon of tasting and, of course, buying.
Turtle Creek's growing popularity is good for Kip, bad for VinoDuo. Our favorite wine, the estate Cab Franc, was sold out and not available for tasting. So we dived in to the other offerings and came up with a few winners.
What we bought
Next up for the Massachusetts wine trail...the Cabernet crush at Zoll Cellars Winery in Shrewsbury, MA (yup, where Spags was.) Details to follow.
Cape Crush Co-Op
As members of the Cape Crush Co-op, we'll be heading to Cape Cod in a few weeks, 30 freshly cleaned/sanitized empty bottles in tow, to claim our 2010 stash of Frank Puzio's marvelous Cab/Merlot/Malbec blend. No, Frank doesn't grow these grapes on the Cape's sandy soil; he trucks them in from California's best wine regions. The alchemy is handled in the winery built into the Puzios' gorgeous Yarmouthport home.
Don't bother looking for VinoDuo in that crush photo, right. Last year, we conveniently arrived on the Cape after all the hard work had been done, but just in time for the post-crush wine and goodies. If you want to enjoy Cape Cod Co-op wine, you've gotta pay your dues...Dr. Frank's (he's a noted Cape eye doctor) red blends are only available through the Co-Op.
Turtle Creek Winery
Another local hero has already made the transition from gentleman farmer to full-time commercial winemaker. Kip Kumler of Turtle Creek Winery in Lincoln, MA has something of a hybrid operation. He imports some of his fruit from California and upstate New York, but also grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Riesling in Lincoln. Turtle Creek's Fall Tasting event brings Kip's devoted customers into the winery for an afternoon of tasting and, of course, buying.
Turtle Creek's growing popularity is good for Kip, bad for VinoDuo. Our favorite wine, the estate Cab Franc, was sold out and not available for tasting. So we dived in to the other offerings and came up with a few winners.
What we bought
- 2009 Syrah: At 16.5% alcohol, Turtle Creek's 4th Syrah vintage shouldn't taste this smooth and subtle. Sourced from Naggiar Vineyards, Grass Valley (CA) and aged in new French oak for 19 months, the wine tastes of deep current and white chocolate, with a long finish.
- 2008 Late Harvest Zinfandel: These grapes traveled from the Wildwood Vineyards, Amador (CA) to Lincoln. Now they're resting comfortably in VinoDuo's cellar, waiting for that first crisp fall night. Light a fire, complain about the weather, and sip this gorgeous dessert wine. Chocolate and caramel notes with great balance.
Next up for the Massachusetts wine trail...the Cabernet crush at Zoll Cellars Winery in Shrewsbury, MA (yup, where Spags was.) Details to follow.
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