My Photo

search the juice

January 2008

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
    1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31    

traffic


  • Food & Drink Blog Top Sites

« Song of the Day: Sea Miner | Main | The Little Bitter »

20 April 2006

Chateau You

Chateaubeau OK, folks.  It's time to day dream.  If you could own vineyards anywhere, where would it be?  What kind of wine would you make?

For my Thursday flight of fancy, I picture myself on about 10 hectares in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.  My vineyards would be situated on the shores of Okanagan Lake.  Yes, I know it's pretty far north.  However, I have sneaking suspicion that over the next dozen years or so, all points south will become uncomfortably warm.  I like water, mountains and wine.  This looks like the perfect (fantasy) spot for Chateau Beau, Domaine Juice or Weingut Basik.  Now, for vines, I would raise Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Merlot and St. Laurent.  "Why?" You ask.  Don't bother me, I'm dreaming.  My cellar would look something like this:  Several styles of Chenin Blanc, including a couple rows of sparkling CB (which, I'll try to make top notch), some Alsatian/Austrian-style Riesling, a reserve St. Laurent (aged judiciously in French oak), and a few experimental bottlings of my super-special Merlot-St. Laurent blend.  I'm still working out the names for the wine, and more importantly, the label designs - but how's this for a first try?

But enough about my wine fantasy.  Tell me about your very own make-believe vineyard.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83452253e69e200d834b9c94469e2

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Chateau You:

Comments

KatieP

Here's the problem with my dream.....my location and my grapes of choice don't coincide, but hey, it's a dream so here we go. I would love to own a vineyard on a rolling hillside in the Piedmont. Then I could frollic from my villa to the vines in a white linen dress pulled down at the shoulders, like Sophia Loren. I'd grow the earthiest pinot noir possible, and throw in some chenin blanc also....the sparkling CB sounds good to me too, Beau! I would speak passionately to the locals (with lots of hand gestures of course) about how wine is made in the vineyard, and make grand meals to feed my friends. God I miss Italy!

beau

WW -
Perhaps we could do an international blending of your Italian Chenin and my Canadian CB. We'll have to think of a great name...how about "Gesture"?
I've not yet been to the Piedmont. Sounds divine. Cheers.

Lenn

Beau,

I'm sure you can guess the general location of where I'd want my vineyard to be...right here on Long Island. But I'll take it one step further...I even know the specific location.

You see, across the street from Shinn Estate Vineyards is a large field that used to be actively farmed (probably potatoes and cabbage if I had to guess) but here's the thing...it's a big hill, giving it some actually slope and even better drainage than the already sandy-stony soil of the North Fork.

You've only seen a few local vineyards, but most of them are flat as a pond at dawn...with a gentle ripple considered a diversion. This plot of land actually slopes and I believe the propery runs all the way north to the Long Island Sound.

Sadly, I think it's owned by Leslie Alexander (the owner of the Houston Rockets) who initially had plans for a vineyard/winery...but decided against it...and apparently hasn't been willing to sell yet.

Like I have the money anyway!

Louis Biggie

I think my vineyard would be in Oregon. And I have decided to compete head-to-head with you, Beau, because I would try to establish Chenin Blanc as a serious grape in North America. I would make Chenin Blanc in every style imaginable -- sparkiling, dry, semi-sweet, and top quality dessert wines like a Bonnezeaux. I might also mess around trying to make some ice wine with my Chenin Blanc as well.

I would also make Pinot Noir, bottling the best as reds, and using my second best to blend with the Chenin Blanc to make a sparkling wine.

My other red would be Syrah.

Very nice question to ask people to dream about, Beau!

Moyey

bill

I would probably stay put and either work Gamay or Blaufrankisch... or maybe down to teh Niagara and do the Gruner...Nope, stay put and Gamay..Homegrown Fleurie?Wow.
B

beau

Bill - Sign me up for some Quebec Gamay & Laurentian Blaufrank. And I expect your wine to be all organic...or even bio-d, baby.

Louis/Moyey - competition would be good for our unassuming Chenin Blanc. We could probably corner the market on N.American CB!

The comments to this entry are closed.

site sponsors

Vino Voyeur

ads

subscribe

cc