Off the Vine...With Lori

Wine TOO Cold!

2012-01-18T18:45:00.004-05:00

People tend to serve white or Rose' wines too cold and red wines too warm. Pulling a white or Rose' straight from the refrigerator is way too cold. This wine will actually taste more acidic and nearly tasteless, but letting it warm up for about 20 minutes, all the fruit or true grape flavors come out.

So...the bottom line is 20 minutes...it takes about 20 minutes out of the frig for a white or Rose' wine to express its true flavors or 20 minutes in the frig for a red wine if it is too warm. Plain and simple...properly chilled wines do taste better.

Cheers!

Wine Cubes?!

2011-12-29T08:02:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is preparing for a great 2012.

Sometimes we finish all our wine at a holiday party and sometimes we have leftover wine in the bottle..."How long will it keep?" is one of my most asked questions. Of course there are variables as to how to answer that because all wines are different and the levels in the bottles can be different. But none-the-less, if you seal up your wine and do not allow additional air to continue to enter the bottle, it should last a couple of days. Fortified wines can last a bit longer. But if you have several bottles open and you just can't finish them, then pour the wine into ice cube trays and freeze them. When frozen, empty the ice cube trays and store in a ziploc bag. These "wine cubes" are excellent to add to all your favorite recipes.

Cheers!

One of My Favorite Quotes...

2011-11-29T12:25:00.003-05:00

As Benjamin Franklin said...

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

Cheers!

Recipe Week ... #5 ... Viognier Dressing

2011-11-18T07:15:00.003-05:00

We all tend to start our holiday
meals with some sort of salad so I went through my recipe book to find this absolutely delicious dressing...
Zesty Mustard Viognier Dressing
Ingredients:
1 c. Mayonnaise
1/4 c. Dijon Mustard
1/4 c. Viognier Wine
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Honey
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt
This yields approximately 1.5 Cups.
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy...Enjoy!!
Cheers!!

Recipe Week ... #4 ... RAZ Sauce by Monk

2011-11-17T07:35:00.003-05:00

I am anticipating enjoying leftover turkey for a couple days so I have asked Monks BBQ for his secret RAZ sauce made with Corcoran's Raspberry Merlot style "RAZ" wine. This sauce is great on pulled turkey or beef ... enjoy!!

1 bottle Corcoran RAZ

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup worcestershire

1/3 cup Monk's BBQ Pork Rub

Cheers!!

Recipe Week ... #3 ... USB Brownies

2011-11-16T04:56:00.004-05:00

It is Wine Wednesday and what better recipe to add but Brownies made with Corcoran USB "Port-style" wine. This recipe was created by Karen and she loves to pair them in the tasting room so the next time you stop by, ask for one of Karen's famous brownies :)

USB Port Ghirardelli Brownies

For 16 brownies, you will need:
8”x8”, 9”x9” or 11”x7” pan
1 box of Ghirardelli Brownie mix
½ c. USB Port
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg

For 24 extra thick brownies, you will need:
13”x9” pan
2 boxes of Ghirardelli Brownie mix
1 c. USB Port
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking pan by lightly greasing or spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
2) Place dessert wine, oil & eggs in mixing bowl & stir until fully mixed. Add brownie mix & stir until well-blended. Spread in prepared pan. Let it sit at least 30 min. before baking.
3) Bake 45-50 min. for 16 brownies. Bake 50-55 min. for 24 brownies.
For glass pan, add 5 min. to the bake time. Cool completely in pan before cutting. Do not over bake. Store in a tightly covered container.

Enjoy with a glass of USB!

Cheers!

Recipe Week ... #2 ... Mulled Wine

2011-11-15T05:23:00.002-05:00

I have posted this a couple times, but it never gets old and especially now that we are serving it in tasting room it is a must have during my Recipe Week....

Warming you from the inside out...Enjoy!

Warm Spiced Wine Ingredients:

2 cups water

2-3 cinnamon sticks

8-10 whole allspice

8-10 whole cloves

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange, plus orange slices for garnish

1 bottle of Corcoran Cabernet Franc

Directions: Combine water, spices, sugar & orange zest in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir & cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Strain out spices & return to pan while adding one bottle of Corcoran red wine, I prefer the Cabernet Franc.

Cheers!

Recipe Week...1st up... Lemon Bars by Tony

2011-11-14T08:29:00.007-05:00

Monday...the week prior to Thanksgiving when we are pulling out our recipe books and planning for all those holiday gatherings.

I would like to offer several recipes that are made using Corcoran wines, so if you have something you have created, let us know!!

Here is my first one, LEMON BARS, which was created by one of our favorite customers, Tony!

Enjoy, I sure am!!

Crust:

2 sticks softened unsalted butter

big 1/2C powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

2C flour

Filling:

8 eggs

1 1/2 Corcoran Cello

1/2C sugar

3/4C heavy cream

2 lemons (zest + juice)

oven 350

In processor, mix crust. Knead on floured counter. Add powdered sugar if too sticky. Spray oil 13x9 pan. Press into pan. Bake 15-20 min til golden.

Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon, zest, and Corcoran Cello til combined. Stir in cream. Pour over crust. Bake 15-20min til set. Cool on rack. Fridge. If you fridge while still warm it will weep.

Cheers!

Trick or Treat?!

2011-10-31T08:54:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween!

We had our first snow storm of the season and it wasn't even winter yet, so I thought!

Since the weather is soooo cold, we are quick to change our wine drinking from crisp whites to full bodied reds.

But wait, it is still fall and I am going to take the kids out trick or treating and we'll have candy to enjoy at home, so what shall I drink with that?

Some quick thoughts for pairing your treats:

Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter, great with light bodied reds with little to no tannins (Corcoran Chambourcin).

Dark Chocolate with Carmel & Nuts, great with a medium bodied red with medium tannins (Corcoran Hunters Run Red).

Corcoran offers two dessert style reds; RAZ & USB, both will go excellent with any dark chocolate.

Need I say more?

Cheers!

It's Harvest Time

2011-10-05T12:12:00.002-04:00

Grapes are being harvested and wine is being made, but last year I made wine with 100% Virginia grown apples and I love it! Not one grape was added to this wine and it has become one of our most popular. Not sweet, not tart, but crisp! I like to say I made this wine to be similar to a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Perfect for a warm fall day or with turkey and all the fixin's...yum!
Cheers!

Dessert Pairing with Beer!

2011-08-09T07:09:00.003-04:00

Going over to the beer side of things...Kevin, our brew master was sampling some of our beers and created this blend of two beers, similar to a black & tan, just for fun. The dark beer on top is our Slainte Stout, which is the beer I like to pair with dessert.

Slainte Stout is less heavy than a typical Stout but has a smooth chocolate finish. With a hint of coffee on the nose and a chocolate taste, this ale pairs perfectly with any of those dark chocolate treats. Truffles, torts, brownies or cupcakes would all taste great with this beer!

See our new website www.corcoranbrewing.com for more information on all the beers we have to offer.

Cheers!

Pairing Desserts :)

2011-08-05T08:26:00.004-04:00

YUM...is all I can say about pairing desserts with wine!

One of our newest wines, Cello, is a Petit Manseng wine that I fortified and infused with fresh lemon zest. I like to serve this wine icy-icy cold with pound cake a-la-mode or vanilla cupcakes.

Shown here in my herb garden, I pair with the pineapple mint which will take the sweetness down a notch and make it more of a dinner wine. Try with lemon chicken or a mango salsa.

A personal favorite as dessert in a glass...Cheers!

Time for Rose'

2011-07-10T09:28:00.002-04:00

I have the BBQ fired up and we are grillin' most evenings so it must be time for a glass of Rose'.

We just released our 2010 Rose' and it pairs perfectly with something right off the grill. Try it with BBQ chicken or BBQ salmon and let me know what you think...

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Refreshing Drink...

2011-07-04T08:49:00.006-04:00

Here is one of my favorite recipes to enjoy on these hot summer days:

2 parts Traminette (slightly sweet/fruitier white wine)

1 part Chambourcin (light red wine)

1 part Sparkling Wine (love adding bubbles)

Mix all together in a pitcher over frozen fruit which will keep the Sangria chilled as well as add additional fruit flavors.

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Time for Herbs & Wine :~)

2011-06-01T19:07:00.003-04:00

I finally found the last of the herbs I was looking for, Stevia! It is the sugar substitute plant that is sweet and the perfect partner to Chocolate Mint. I have planted and re-planted dozens of herbs in order to offer just the right pairing with wine.

Most people think that red meat should pair with red wine and white meat with white wine, but in fact it is the herb/spice in the sauce that makes the pairing most critical.

As the warm days are upon us and we start grillin' out more, preparing summer salads and rethink the wine we are drinkin'. We'll move away from the heavy reds and lean towards the light, crisp chilled whites so what do we pair with these new wines??

I recently snipped some of my Pineapple Mint and paired it with our new Traminette...very nice! Then I got some Hot & Spicy Oregano...what wine should I pair with this?? What about Basil, Tarragon, Day Lilies?? Only time will tell and hopefully you can come out on a Sunday to Corcoran Vineyards and experience how we change your palate, one herb & one wine at a time.

Cheers!

Easter Pairings!

2011-04-16T20:35:00.003-04:00

Where did March go?? Here we are at Easter time and I never did a blog for March...yikes!

As we prepare for an Easter feast with family and friends, we bring out the ham. What wine pairs with ham?? That is one of the hardest foods to pair with wine because it is usually salty, with or without honey glaze and maybe even smoked, but all with salt. Ok...lets think of who is actually writing this blog :) My favorite is always bubbles and you know sparkling wine pairs wonderfully with ham. But in case you don't care for that...a dry Rose' is always nice.

Are you doing an Easter brunch with all the fixin's...pancakes, eggs & bacon... more salt but also more complex with both sweet & salty. Again, my go to wine is sparkling because it does truly pair with salty foods, but a Rose' will be nice as well as a light white wine with no oak and more fruit.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter.

Cheers!!

Girl Scout Cookie Time...

2011-02-07T18:58:00.008-05:00

Well...what can I say...just received my shipment of Girl Scout cookies and the first thing I thought of was, lets pair them with wine?!

Samoa was first up and was quite delicious with the Corcoran Malbec, the chocolate and carmel with the crisp cookie middle...yummy!! Our Malbec is very light in comparison to the Argentinean Malbecs, who has a much longer grower season then us, here in Virginia. So that means lots of spice, some acid and a bit of fruit for us.

Next up was the Tag-a-long, milk chocolate covered cookies with creamy peanut butter in the middle (ok...yummy on its own)...what wine shall I choose?? I pulled the Corcoran Chambourcin because of it doesn't have a lot of tannins and is quite light in taste...it did quite well paired with this chocolate covered, peanut butter cookie, I must say!

Last of the evening, but most certainly not least, was the Thin Mint....what to have with a dark chocolate covered chocolate flavored mint cookie??? Ok...I opened the Hunters Run Red, another light red with a Cabernet Franc base blended with Barbera and Tannat. I was thinking that because of the light tannins it would pair good with the chocolate, but the mint does take over here and found it hard to taste all the complexities of the wine with so much other flavors from the cookie...after one cookie and a nice size glass of wine, it paired well...which makes it nice so that I don't eat too many cookies :)

Cheers!!

Toast to a New Year!

2011-01-02T08:11:00.006-05:00

We rung in a new year and brought out the bubbles...Champagne or Sparkling Wine, but why do we only drink these on New Years or special occasions? I don't, but do you??

Sparkling Wine is something that can be paired with just about everything and comes in a variety of styles to please almost every palate. Some styles are called Ultra Brut (bone dry) to Extra Brut to Brut to Extra Dry to Dry/Secco, to Demi-Sec (sweet) to luscious which is often called Sweet/Doux. With so many options, why not cleanse the palate prior to a meal with a dry sparkling like a Cava, enjoy one with some sweetness during a brunch like an Asti or have a sweet one alone for dessert.

Make tonight a special occasion and enjoy some bubbles!

Happy New Year!

Time for Red Wine...

2010-12-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

As the weather turns a bit chilly and we are bundling up for blustery days ahead...most people turn to drinking red wine. Red wine usually consists of more tannins. (Tannins are what seems to dry out our mouth, removes the saliva giving us the pucker effect.) A wine that has tannins pairs best with rich meats & sauces and of course, my personal favorite, chocolate. In the colder weather we tend to put meals in crock pots, sit by the fireplace with sweets while entertaining so a red wine is poured & enjoyed more often.

Some of the Corcoran reds I will be pairing this winter would be the Cabernet Franc with a beef stew or pot roast, Chambourcin with chicken pot pie and Malbec with chocolate.

Cheers!

Warm Spiced Wine...Anyone??

2010-11-26T10:08:00.004-05:00

As the weather gets a bit chilly we often wonder what to drink...well, I have a wonderful recipe that will warm your insides :)

Warm Spiced Wine Ingredients:

2 cups water

2-3 cinnamon sticks

8-10 whole allspice

8-10 whole cloves

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange, plus orange slices for garnish

1 bottle of Corcoran Cabernet Franc

Directions:

Combine water, spices, sugar & orange zest in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir & cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Strain out spices & return to pan while adding one bottle of Corcoran red wine.

Enjoy!

Gobble...Gobble

2010-11-09T18:56:00.003-05:00

Is Turkey calling your name?? Family and friends are coming and you need to prepare a feast...

One of the most popular red wines that is paired with a turkey dinner is Pinot Noir, but since it doesn't really grow here on the East Coast, what will you choose now?? How about a Corcoran Chambourcin??

Chambourcin is a French-American hybrid grape, light in body with bright cherry-berry and cranberry flavors, perfect for your holiday meal.

Come wine with us at our Waterford location or at Hunters Run Wine Barn on Route 9, we both are offering the Corcoran 2009 Chambourcin.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers!

Halloween Pairings

2010-10-28T09:32:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween!

This time of year I have lots and lots of chocolate treats around and I am always trying to think of wines to pair them with.

One of my favorite pairings is a Milky Way Dark and our Corcoran Malbec. Another, surprisingly, favorite one is a red gummy worm (has lots of cherry flavor) with our Chambourcin. But how do we pair those potato chips with all that salt...must be bubbles, Sparkling Wine is great with salty foods. Maybe you have some buttery popcorn balls lying around...one of the best pairings with popcorn is a slightly oaked Chardonnay and our 2008 was phenomenal with popcorn.

Enjoy your holiday candy and let me know what wines you pair this season.

Cheers!

Virginia Wine Month is Here!

2010-10-05T09:00:00.005-04:00

Harvest is just about done and we had a very interesting year.

Besides the battle of the stink bug, we tried some new yeasts, we have new grape varieties and our science experiment that we did was punch-downs vs. pump-overs on our reds. I am very excited to say the least of how well our reds are progressing thus far.

Cheers to all our fellow wineries, winemakers and wine enthusiasts this month as we try a new Virginia wine each day :)

2010 Vineyards Looking Good

2010-07-07T09:32:00.006-04:00

Our Cabernet Franc vineyard is looking good in all this heat. Previously we had heat and rain which created a lot of vigor so we have hedged, leaf-pulled and dropped some fruit so all the vines energy is going into producing the best fruit.

We have eliminated herbicides which is what we used to spray at the bottom of the vines to keep the weeds down. We now just let it grow and pull them out by hand when needed.

All in all, with the late frost behind us and a heat wave on us, the vines are 3 weeks ahead of schedule and looking good. A shower or two of rain wouldn't hurt.

Cheers!!

Weather and Grapes

2010-05-24T08:54:00.006-04:00

Mother Nature is a huge part of growing grapes and making wine, especially since wine is made in the vineyard.

When rain comes we just think about how we will have to mow more, with wind it is worrying about what will blow over and when frost comes we worry about all our young plants...well that is precisely what happened to our Viognier grapes this year...FROST! We lost all our Viognier grapes to the frost.
Not to worry Cabernet Franc lovers...those grapes are fine and flourishing. That is one of the problems about being a farmer/grape grower...some years you get an excellent harvest and some years you don't, but you only have that one year to harvest worthy fruit to make into wine.
Cheers to a good 2010 harvest!

Wine vs Beer Dinner...

2010-05-17T08:26:00.011-04:00

It's the US vs. Canada all over again as Magnolias at the Mill will host one of their most ambitious event dinners yet this Thursday, May 20th. Chef Mark will pair beers from Canada and wine from Corcoran Vineyards and it is up to you to decide which was the best.

Here is a sneak peak at the menu...

Greeting with our pre-release Rose or Central City Pale Ale

1st Course

Seared Peppered Scallop, Shrimp & Pineapple Quinoa, Citrus Beurre Blanc

Our 2008 Riesling vs. Brasseurs Illimites Simple Malt Altbier

2nd Course

Speck Wrapped Asparagus, Red & Gold Beet Carpaccio, Shaved Parmesan Reggiano

Our 2008 Chardonnay vs. Trou du Diable La Buteuse

3rd Course

Tempura Soft Shell Crab, Pickled Green Tomatoes

Our 2007 Mary's Cuvee vs. Brasseurs Illimites Simple Malt IPA

4th Course

Wood Grilled Beef Medallions, Chipotle Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Our 2007 Meritage vs. A l'Abri de La Tempete Corne de Brume

Dessert Course

Strawberry Shortcake, Shortbread Cookies, Grand Marnier Cream

Our 2007 Seyval Blanc vs. Brasseurs Illimites Simple Malt Imperial Stout

Is your mouth watering?? This is going to be a very hard decision especially since I am a wine drinker and a beer drinker, but I am up for the challenge! Are you?? Come join Jim and I on Thursday...let the fun begin :)

You can book your seat on line at http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/ or by calling Magnolias at 540-338-9800.

See you there.

Cheers!

Drink Local Wine

2010-05-01T06:48:00.008-04:00

I have been thinking and thinking about what to actually write about the Drink Local Wine conference last weekend that hasn't already been Blogged about, Tweeted or posted on Facebook.

Overall, I thought it was a good conference, it is always nice to be able to taste the wide variety of wines we have right here in Virginia. To think that we can have 20 or so Viogniers right in one room to taste, is awesome. Chat with the wine makers and truly get the insight on how they process the fruit and where the fruit is grown, all of which makes a huge difference in the final product taste.

We tasted some exceptionally awesome red blends or Meritage wines. Each and every one of them was different. All using Bordeaux grapes, but by putting them into different ratios and having completely different growing regions makes each one of these wines unique. For instance, our 2007 Meritage was with Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend so it is going to be much more fruitier than one made with Petit Verdot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon.

There was also a "take-away" message that I must mention...consumers still don't think about drinking local wine like they eat/buy local food. And how can we change that?? One person, one store, one restaurant at a time. Putting our products in front of consumers as often as we can and writing about it...via social media!

All and all it was FUN...but the most exciting time for me was meeting all the fellow wine enthusiasts and bloggers/tweeps/facebook fans.

Hope to continue on the enthusiasm of drink local wine...

Cheers!

Wine Terminology Again...

2010-04-23T08:29:00.004-04:00

Here is a blog from the past which is appropriate as we begin the busy wine tasting season. I thought it would be fun to go over some of the Wine Terminology that you will be hearing in the tasting rooms or at any of the upcoming wine festivals. Some will be told that the wine is Buttery, Chewy, Firm, or even Velvety, but what does that really mean? Here are a few definitions I think are very helpful…

ACIDITY: The presences of natural fruit acids that lend a tart, crisp taste to the wine.
AROMA: Smells in wine that originates from the grape.
BOUQUET: Smells from winemaking, aging and bottle age.
BUTTERY: Rich, creamy flavor associated with barrel fermentation.
CHEWY: Wine that has a very deep, textured and mouth-filling sensation.
CORKED: Wine that has been tainted with moldy smells or other obvious flaws from a bad cork. DRY: No sugar or sweetness remaining and a fruity wine can be dry.
EARTHY: Flavors and aromas of mushroom, soil and mineral.
FIRM: Texture and structure of a young, tannic red.
LEGS: Teardrop impressions of alcohol weightiness that are visible on the inside edges of a wine glass.
MALOLACTIC: Conversion of hard, malic acid, which is green apple flavors, in wine to soft, lactic acid, like rich butter flavors.
TANNIN: A drying, astringent sensation on the palate that is generally associated with heavier red wines.
TERROIR: French word reflecting the expression of soil, topography and climate in a wine.
VELVETY: Smooth-textured with deep, rich aromas and flavors.
VINTAGE: Year that grapes were harvested and fermented to make a wine.

Also...we have been doing quite a bit with oak alternatives and here is a quick list of some of the oak attributes to wine:

Vanillin, Caramel, Maple, Creme Brulee, Cinnamon & Chocolate just to name a few. Understanding that these flavors are derived from the barrels with certain toast levels, not the grapes.

Cheers!

Earth Day!!

2010-04-19T08:46:00.010-04:00

Earth Day is officially April 22nd but what can we do everyday?

Here in the winery we have implemented several new practices to help conserve water. We are not using wine barrels as our storage vessels any longer which was 90% of our water usage. Just think...it takes 10 gallons of water to make 1 bottle of wine. We have taken 2 of those old barrels to catch the rain water off our winery roof to use as the water in our herb garden. Of course we recycle all our wine bottles used in the tasting room as well as recycling around the house.

Looking to enjoy a local dinner on Earth Day...American Flatbread in Ashburn is offering an Earth Day dinner on April 22nd and it will pair very nicely with our Meritage...great way to eat fresh & local.

Everyone can do something to help and every little bit helps!
Happy Earth Day!!

Cheers!

Have you been to Hunters Run Wine Barn yet?

2010-04-15T09:36:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, we opened up another tasting room, right on Route 9. Geri Nolan, owner of the Wine Barn, has created an excellent atmosphere to pair our wine and music and great people. Geri and her sister, Anne work behind the bar every weekend, but this weekend, April 17th, I will have the pleasure of serving up some of our Corcoran wines. I think to make it a special occasion, I will pour a couple new things. Hmmm...what to pour is the question. So to find out, you will have to come visit Hunters Run Wine Barn at 40325 Charlestown Pike (Route 9) in Hamilton, VA...see you there!

Cheers!

Favorite Weekend Pairing

2010-04-05T11:27:00.005-04:00

Now that the wonderful Easter holiday is behind me...I am contemplating which was my favorite wine and food pairing??

I must say the sparkling wine (CAVA from Spain and Sofia from California) were spectacular with our brunch. Since we had such a mix bag of food, the sparkling paired perfectly!

But then came all those dessert treats that the bunny left in our baskets...chocolate of course...and what pairs best with dark chocolate?? I would have to say our Malbec and it was yummy!!

What was your favorite food & wine pairing last weekend??

Cheers!!

Easter Pairings...

2010-03-30T07:56:00.004-04:00

Spring is finally here and an Easter brunch or dinner is right on our heels. What to pair with all those delicious foods we are planning on serving.

Remember...when in doubt...serve sparkling!!

Lets start with brunch...I personally like a white wine best with my breakfast foods but think a light red with low tannins will pair well when serving mainly meats & eggs. Usually we enjoy a sparkling wine with a little orange juice (just to be on the healthy side) and that to me is my favorite Easter treat.

Ham, one of the hardest meats to pair because of the smokey and sweet, honey glazed flavors. A sparkling Rose' is a good match as well as a fruity Pinot Noir or maybe a lightly sweet Riesling. The key is to not over power the meat with a heavy, more tannic red wine. Also served during spring is lamb, loaded with rich flavors, I believe lamb pairs exceptionally well with Malbec or Cabernet...yum!

Enjoy!!

Wet Feet??

2010-03-16T07:20:00.002-04:00

Who likes wet feet?
Not me and most definitely not the vines.
When we had all that snow...I believe 75 inches here at Corkys Farm this winter...although it was quite a bit, the snow acts as an insulator to the dormant vines. Moisture is gradually seeping into the ground as the snow melts, which is good. And the melting can take several weeks so not all at once!
However, with all this rain, that is not good. We had roughly 4 inches fall in two days and that just creates run offs & puddles, which is too much moisture at one time. Now we will be having some nice sunny days, so that is great and will help the drying out.
Wet winters & dry summers is what we vines love!
Cheers!

Flavors...

2010-03-09T19:38:00.004-05:00

Where do all those flavors come from in wine?

When I swirl, sniff, sip and savor a wine and I get peach, apricot, raspberry or even spice flavors...how do they get into the wine?? Have you ever wondered??

Well...I know that I don't add peaches or apricots or even spice while making the wine...so where does it come from??

There are so many variables that play a role in capturing the fruit characteristics. First it is from the vineyard as we reach veraison the herbaceous character becomes red fruit and then black fruit as it ripens. For example Methoxypyrazine (bell pepper aromas) will diminish with proper vineyard management.

Second is when we decide which yeast strain to use. Each strain has different characteristics which allow us to release the captured compounds from the grapes as it ferments.

And last would be our storage vessel. Oak and stainless steel both play a role in the wine flavors, like how coconut, clove, vanilla and even spice all come from the oak not the grape.

Now...what are you drinking tonight and what flavors do you taste??

Cheers!

Wine ... Made in the Vineyard

2010-02-23T08:11:00.009-05:00

Here at Corcoran we fully believe that the wine is made in the vineyard.

What we mean by this is that we have an intergrated vineyard management plan which includes; canopy management, pest management and soil management.

Canopy Management ... includes all aspects of the grapevine above the ground (trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, flowers and grapes).

Pest Management ... is all the viruses, mildews, rots, as well as all the insect pests.

Soil Management ... is understanding the nutrient cycle in the vineyard, including maintaining a proper pH in the soil which allows for the optimum nutrients for the grapes.

Why is this so important? I am currently tasting this vintage trying to determine if we captured the varietal character that was present in the grapes at harvest and formed during wine making. As I am tasting, I have to ask the following questions ... Did we capture fruit flavors, acidity, tannins? Is there anything unique about this wine? Are there off odors or flavors?

So after tasting the 2009 wines and answering these questions, I am now ready to start the exciting aspect of blending.

Snow - Snow - go away...

2010-02-12T17:00:00.004-05:00

...and come back again another day!!

Corcoran will be CLOSED this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, February 13th & 14th as we were hit pretty hard by the snow drifts during the 2nd round-blizzard.

Enjoy this time indoors drinking new wines and try cooking with wine!

Cheers!

Malbec Vertical...

2010-02-05T10:28:00.005-05:00

Corcoran is going to be celebrating Valentines by offering a Malbec vertical with some delicious chocolates. We have truffles and special dark chocolates to be paired especially with our Malbec. Malbec is a Bordeaux varietal that got is popularity in Argentina, but has been in the states for some time but used mainly as a blending grape. I have one specific grower who has planted Malbec here in Loudoun County, Wild Meadow Vineyard, and I have had the privilege of making the wine from it every year. Our Malbec has less tannins, more of a medium body with a beautiful plum color. It has flavors of dark cherry jam, mocha, coffee and a bit of spice which makes it pair so lovely with chocolate. So...reserve your spot at the bar with Lori to taste our Malbec this Valentine's weekend...YUM!!

Cheers!

Winter Wonderland...again!

2010-01-31T09:48:00.004-05:00

Although we are having what seems to be record breaking snow storms at all the wrong times, weekends, we are enjoying the time off with our family.

I have also had the privilege of enjoying several wine dinners out where our wine has been poured...first the James Beard Foundation in New York...then at the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, which was a benefit for the Loudoun Interfaith. At this particular event...I had the pleasure to taste for the very first time, beef sweetbreads. What would you think "sweetbreads" would mean if you saw it on the menu...well...it was nothing as I expected. Since I had no idea what it was, I took a bite and it was alright, not to the texture that I would really like...but then I found out it was actually the brains of the cow...OMG. I tried it but honestly could not eat anymore of it once I found out what it was...must be a phobia thing...please let me know if you have had these "sweetbreads" and what did you think??

Well...back to the winter we are enjoying...actually we have been planning and planning quite a bit on how we can help our customers better understand and enjoy wine. We have put together 7 different workshops for all to enjoy from a Barrel Tasting without the Barrels to A Blending Session with Me. Check out our website or join us on MeetUp for all the latest information!

Cheers!

Successful Weekend

2010-01-24T14:39:00.005-05:00

Wow! What a great weekend of wine!

We started off on Friday night being honored to have our 2008 Viognier poured at the James Beard Foundation in New York City. It was absolutely a wonderful experience being there and chatting about our wines and Virginia wines! Can you believe that there are still people out there that haven't had a chance to taste a Virginia wine. Boy are they missin' out!

I also had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful family here in the photo with Chef Christopher Edwards of the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, Virginia. He was our "celebrity" chef that night at the James Beard House and he did a great job on all the food...delicious!!

Then on Sunday we started our new Educational Workshop here at Corcoran. We explained all about oak and how oak plays a role in the winery. Barrels or no barrels?? We enjoyed all the questions and enthusiasm about Corcoran wines. Look for a series of dates for our next wine class sessions! Register here... http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com

Cheers!!

Barrel Tasting without the Barrels??

2010-01-10T19:32:00.004-05:00

Well...we are off and running in this new year and ready to start our Educational Series here at Corcoran Vineyards (in the Winery).

Our first class of the year will be a Barrel Tasting...but without the Barrels on Sunday, January 24th starting at 1:00 pm. We have gotten rid of all our barrels in the 2009 harvest and have opted to use only stainless steel with miro-ox. We use several different oak alternatives and that is what we would like to teach in our first class. Not only about oak alternatives, but about oak. What does Hungarian, French or American Oak really taste like. In our class we will be tasting each oak and analyzing their aromas and flavor profiles. We will then be able to taste wine aged in each of the different oaks, not in barrels, but will you be able to taste the different flavors or smell the different aromas??

Come into the winery and experience something like no other. Limited seating and registration is at http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/

Cheers!

New Year...New Name...New Ideas!

2010-01-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone...as I move forth I would like to start really discussing all the things I enjoy with the grapes...Off the Vine!

I believe it is time to take the next step and jazz up this blog, add more information about my passion of making wine, more food and wine pairings and add our upcoming class schedule and events here at Corcoran.

Have you always wanted to learn about the different oaks we use...American, French, Hungarian?? Or have you wanted to find out how different wine glasses can actually make your wine taste different?? What about blending wine...how do we do that?? Is winemaking truly a science or just an art?? These and many more will be discussed this year.

I look forward to 2010 and educating a few more wine enthusiasts!

Cheers!!

Sparkling New Year

2009-12-29T05:45:00.005-05:00

This week we are thinking of ringing in the New Year, celebrating with friends and family and making those dreaded New Years resolutions. What can we change about ourselves?? What is a realistic goal that we can actually accomplish without being miserable doing so?? Well for most it is getting healthier by exercising and watching what we eat and for others it might just be getting organized. For me it would be both, but really I would like to help others enjoy wine. I believe that tasting wine and incorporating another flavor profile like an herb or spice or specific food, really makes the difference by turning that good wine into a great wine.

So as we move towards 2010, I would love if everyone would attempt to try at least one sparkling wine or a wine that you might not ever think of trying. People often think of sparkling wine as something that should be for a special occasion. And I ask, "Why?" Sparkling wines or Champagnes really go with almost everything. We were having ham the other night on Christmas Eve and I couldn't decide what wine to have so I pulled out the Rotari Sparkling Rose from Italy and it was excellent. Paired quite nicely with all the fixin's too. Want to dress up that burger and fries...why not have a Cava from Spain?? And one of the easiest, most enjoyable pairings we can all do this New Years is try potato chips with any type of bubbles!

2010 will be an exciting year here at Corcoran, we will be offering several wine education classes and the first one will be starting in January. We hope to have one or two different classes every month from wine tasting 101 to oak alternatives to sparkling wines.

We wish you and your family a very happy New Year!

Cheers!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T12:32:00.009-05:00

All of us at Corcoran Vineyards would like to wish our fans and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We have enjoyed the year and look forward to more fun to come in 2010.

Classes will be a huge focus for us this coming year as we look to educate others about oak alternatives and wine making here at Corcoran. And as spring approaches we will start our Wine & Herb classes with Sommelier, Mary Watson DeLauder and winemaker, Lori Corcoran.

Again we would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season and thank you for your patronage.

Cheers!

Mulled Wine Recipe...

2009-12-14T06:02:00.004-05:00

Since it is that time of year when we all are getting together with friends and family and usually gathering around the dessert table. I thought it would be nice to give out our famous Mulled Wine Recipe that almost everybody enjoys. It isn't sweet, but it has lots of spice and actually does pair with most of those delicious desserts quite well. I like to use our Cabernet Franc, but have been anxious to try it with our new 2008 Malbec because this new Malbec has lots of spice already...yum!

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
10 whole allspice
10 whole cloves
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1/2 orange, plus orange slices for garnish (optional)
One bottle of Corcoran Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Directions:
Combine water, spices, sugar and orange zest in 2 quart saucepan. Stir and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat for one hour. The liquid will reduce by half, and fill your home with a wonderful aroma! Strain out spices and return liquid to pan. Add one bottle of Corcoran Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Heat on low until warm (being careful not to boil).

Enjoy -- Cheers!

We are going to try it again...

2009-12-08T09:33:00.009-05:00

So since we experienced our first measurable snowfall this past weekend, we have decided to offer our Sparkling Wine class again on Saturday, December 12th at Noon and we will have our Holiday Open House this Saturday too.

Explore the World of Sparkling Wine with Mary Watson DeLauder. We have over 5 different sparkling wines to enjoy and even buy to bring home for the holidays. From Spain to France to Italy and California to even Australia. These are are different and you can taste the difference that each region has to offer...so make your reservation and come on out... http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/

Our Holiday Open House will also be this Saturday, which means I will make a warm mulled wine using our 2007 Cabernet Franc and I have lots of holiday treats some that pair exceptionally well with our 2008 Malbec...yum!

Just because it is the holidays and we are hoping for good weather this weekend...we will be bringing out our new release of the Mary's Cuvee...a red wine blend created by Mary and I which we like to call..."Two chicks having fun, blending wine and enjoying our passion."
Hope to see you all this weekend.
Cheers!

Holiday Open House

2009-12-03T08:00:00.007-05:00

It is that time of year again when we open up with all the holiday cheer! We will be having mulled wine and holiday treats this Saturday, December 5th from 12:00 until 5:00pm.

This is a perfect time to stock up on all your Corcoran favorite wines. We even have a few past vintages available. Not only will we be offering Corcoran wines, but lets not forget about all those bubbles...tiny bubbles that we love. We will have a few sparkling wines from Italy, Spain and California available.

I really enjoy this time of year when we get together with friends and family. With the spirit of St. Nick in the air, who couldn't be happier?? Lets sit back and cherish our time together.

Cheers!

Explore the World of SPARKLING WINE!!

2009-11-27T17:51:00.007-05:00

Come on out to Corcoran next Saturday, December 5th and enjoy five sparkling wines from around the world like a Cava from Spain or Champagne from Champagne, France and even a sparkling Shiraz from Australia.

This is a great time to meet Sommelier, Mary Watson DeLauder and taste how different wines whether sparkling or not are different in every region from around the world.

Especially now that we are feasting on all those Thanksgiving leftovers...what could be a better pairing?? Bubbles...tiny bubbles go with quite a few foods but very well with salty foods or snacks. So turkey sandwich and a handful of potato chips should be paired with some sparkling wine....yum!!

So sign up for one of the 2 sparkling wine sessions with Mary and taste some bubbles....learn about bubbles....and get some bubbles for your next gathering.

Registration is required at http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/

Cheers!

Thinking Wine for Thanksgiving??

2009-11-23T16:48:00.005-05:00

Whether you are having turkey, lamb, beef or fish remember to start with a glass of something you enjoy! Of course for me it will be bubbles, tiny bubbles because it is a great palate cleanser and I love it. In fact sparkling wine pairs with most everything so it is something to start or end every evening with. Once you have enjoyed your glass of choice, you can move onto a wine that is paired with your meal. With turkey I like Chambourcin for a red, with its light tannins and cranberry flavors it is perfect when paired with cranberry sauce and stuffing. And Viognier for a white wine with your turkey because although it is dry it has a lot of fruit flavors which will stand up to sides like sweet potatoes. A rich lamb pairs wonderfully with our Malbec. If you are thinking of having a beef roast, try a heavier red like our Meritage which is a blend of Bordeaux reds. Then for the fish lovers we have our lightly oaked Chardonnay. This Chardonnay also is a huge hit with all your leftovers!

All of us at Corcoran Vineyards wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Cheers!

It's the Most Wonderful & CRAZY Time of the Year

2009-11-22T18:40:00.007-05:00

With our busy schedules it's hard to find time to figure out what to make let alone what you want to pair with it. It can also be a daunting task as well. Any good winery or wine shop would be great at steering you in the right direction. A lot of these people are wine connoisseurs and they are out to educate people for the sheer love of wine not for their own agenda. Loudoun County has a town of wineries, wine shops, stores with excellent wine selections, etc right at our finger tips. If you didn't know, this area is growing very rapidly not only in wine production but also in wine expertise so take advantage of what's around you.... and just ask. Let us help fulfill our need for the spirit of giving....you know giving you the best bottle possible to pair with your meal.

Eat Well, Drink Well!

Kim

Wine is for Wisdom!

2009-11-19T19:48:00.006-05:00

Ok...ok...I couldn't resist putting this on my blog since I say this every weekend in the tasting room when customers ask me if they can rinse their glass with water...and I must say, "only wisdom on our bar" :)

This is interesting! And to paraphrase W.C. Fields, I don't drink water, because fish poop in it..

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't...

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom,in beer there is freedom,in water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop...However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health. Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of poop!..There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service!

Cheers!

Ladies...Ladies....Ladies!

2009-11-16T15:57:00.010-05:00

It is that time of year again when Corcoran Vineyards will host our Annual Ladies Night!

I know, I know we need to do a Gentlemens Night with cigars and wine and we are planning that, but that will have to wait for now.

Friday, November 20th starting at 7:00pm we will be pairing holiday foods with Corcoran wines. This time it will be at our new Wine Tasting Barn, Hunters Run which is located right on Route 9, exactly four miles East from the Route 9 & Route 287 traffic light. It will be dark, but the weather folks are calling for a nice evening, so we will have the outdoor fire on! This is a not to be missed event of the year. Our 2008 Malbec has arrived and it is nice and spicy...yum! We'll also have my favorite sparkling CAVA to start the evening and lots more.

Reservations are required at http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/

Hope to see you all then.

Cheers!

Extra Special Holiday Girls Night Out

2009-11-12T15:25:00.007-05:00

Corcoran Vineyards and Celebrations Catering has teamed up to offer a spectacular evening at the Dandelion Patch in Reston next Tuesday, November 17th at 7pm.

We will be rolling out the red carpet this evening and offering tastings of our new Mary's Cuvee, a red wine blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Barbera and Tannat. This wine really should be called "Two chicks blending wine and havin' fun" because that is what Mary Watson and I did. It took us two full days to put this blend together and we are proud. Mary Watson will be at the Dandelion Patch with me pouring her wine.

If you would like to attend please RSVP to Reston@thedandelionpatch.com

Cheers!

Fall Pairings

2009-11-08T08:06:00.005-05:00

The leaves are almost gone and the air is getting crisp, so usually that means we start to think about drinking more red wine than white. The safe bet for all is that white wine goes with white meat and red wine with red meats. Correct?? Yes and no. It really depends on what seasonings and/or herbs you are putting with that meat.

So...as we start thinking turkey for Thanksgiving, remember that Chambourcin goes awesome with all your feathered friends; quail, duck, chicken & turkey. And of course Chardonnay is a great white wine option when you add all the fixin's of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Two options to think about this month is a light red wine like Chambourcin or Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, lightly oaked, if at all.

What do you pair with your turkey...

Cheers!

Book Signing at Corcoran at Hunters Run Wine Tasting Barn, Saturday!

2009-11-01T17:08:00.009-05:00

Come to Corcoran at Hunters Run this Saturday, November 7th and meet Walker Elliott Rowe, author of the book, The History of Virginia Wines from Grapes to Glass. He will be signing his new book from 1:00pm-5:00pm at our new Wine Tasting Barn on Route 9.

"Go beyond the bottle and step inside the minds-and vines-of Virginia's burgeoning wine industry in this groundbreaking volume. Join grape grower and industry insider Walker Elliott Rowe as he guides you through some of the top vineyards and wineries in the Old Dominion. Rowe explores the minds of pioneering winemakers and vineyard owners, stitches together an account of the wine industry's foundation in Virginia, from Jamestown to Jefferson to Barboursville, and uncovers the fascinating mission chapter in Virginia wine history..."

After meeting the author, you can admire the breathtaking fall colors, while it still lasts. Sit by the fire inside or out enjoying a glass of Corcoran wine.

Cheers!

Trick or Treat??

2009-10-27T19:25:00.006-04:00

Have you ever wanted to know what gummy worms, chocolate kisses or even a carmel would pair with when you are drinking wine?? How can we make that Halloween candy be more than just candy, but actually paired with some Corcoran Wine to make a nice dessert? Come visit Sommelier, Mary Watson DeLauder and Winemaker, Lori Corcoran at Corcoran Vineyards this Saturday, October 31st and taste some Halloween treats paired with our wine.

Mary will also pull out some of her new Mary's Cuvee to taste. It is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Barbera and Tannat...a must have for some cold fall days ahead!

Hope to see you all at Corcoran on Halloween for some tricks or treats??

Cheers!

Wine & Herb Sessions with Mary...

2009-10-18T07:36:00.004-04:00

Sommelier, Mary Watson DeLauder is coming back to Corcoran Vineyards to offer her Wine & Herb tasting experience. Come taste how one leaf can change your whole palate and the flavors of the wine. Mary will offer two sessions on Saturday, October 24th at 1:00pm and at 4:00pm as well as Sunday, October 25th at 1:00pm and 4:00pm. Seating is limited and it will occur rain or shine. Reserve your seat now at http://shop.corcoranvineyards.com/. So come out to this last chance offering before the frost, taste the tarragon and our new Chardonnay, is that the right pairing??

Mary and I recently were interviewed by Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post and you can see us here on youTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LJPOImi92E explaining the power of herbs. Thank goodness Mary got to do most of the talking...I just enjoyed doing the tasting :)

Fall is just such a wonderful time at the wineries. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp and chilly, but the winery is warm and full of new varieties to taste.

Cheers!

Virginia Wine Month is Here!

2009-10-02T16:39:00.004-04:00

October is Virginia Wine Month. Lots of happenings all around the state at many wineries and on all the wine trails. Of course Corcoran is no exception. We are currently fermenting our new Rose, Chardonnay, Riesling, Traminette and Chambourcin and our Malbec and Cabernet Franc are still ripening on the vine. 2009 seems to be a great year for grapes.

October 3rd, Corcoran is opening a new Wine Tasting Barn at Hunters Run which is on Route 9. Look for all the fall decor and come on into this beautiful barn to taste some of Corcoran favorites. We will be open every Friday from 3:00pm til 7:00pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12noon til 6:00pm.

Friday, October 9th come to Lansdowne and Rendezvous with Jack Diamond, Host of The Jack Diamond Morning Show on MIX 107.3 in Washington, DC. Join us as we savor the Chesapeake featuring Corcoran Wines and dance to the music of The Jack Diamond- Jim Steed Band along the way. Call 888.541.7946 and tell them you are a Corcoran fan, give the promo code JMEN to receive a discount!

Then we will be off to the Hot Air Balloon & Wine Festival at Historic Long Branch on October 16, 17, & 18. This is a wonderful event out in the country enjoying the crisp fall air and watching the beautiful balloons go up in the sky while sipping some of Virginias finest wines.

If we don't see you at one of our many events or tasting rooms this month, enjoy a glass of Virginia Wine with a friend!

Cheers!

OKTOBER in September

2009-09-26T12:52:00.003-04:00

It's the time of year where were all the little German towns in this area (and other towns as well) celebrate their local Oktoberfest and yours truly is not only a wine lover but also a beer lover (maybe it's my German heritage). So what better way to celebrate the German culture then to study both.

Oktoberfest originated 1810 with a 16 day celebration in honor of a royal wedding. Since Oktoberfest started in the heart of Bavaria, beer was the drink of choice and is also the drink of choice of Germans nationwide currently. There are some phenomenal beers coming out of Germany now...breweries such as Augustiner, Hofbrau, Spaten, and Paulaner are a few of the excellent breweries you will find from this country. These breweries craft great pilsners, weisbiers (white beers) and heffeweizen. But in true stereotypical German fashion they are very committed to excellence not only in the breweries but also in the wineries.

Germany's government is highly involved in the quality of wine that comes out of there. They are producing EXCELLENT Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris & Muscat and as for reds Pinot Noirs are up and coming. With every wine that is created in Germany 2 bottles must be sent to the overseeing organization of wine called easily abbreviated to VdP. One is ALWAYS left corked in a wine vault and the other one is kept so that if their is every a dispute of someone misrepresenting a wine they can test it against the one given to the VdP.

Okay, I'm sure some of you are like "enough with the history lesson, Kim" but I think in order to understand what it is we are drinking we have to know the care that goes behind it. And for those of you who don't know last weekend we just released or 2008 Riesling so during the month of "Oktober" come drink like the Germans do at Corcoran Vineyards.

Eat Well! Drink Well!
Kim

2009-09-10T19:41:00.006-04:00

As another harvest is upon us...I say let the tasting begin.

It seems the fall is the busiest time of year to visit wineries. Everyone is out and about enjoying the autumn colors, the cool breeze, and tasting new wines.

I always like to think of Corcoran as a place to get more of an educational experience because you can taste and learn about the wines. We offer wine and herb pairings with either myself or Sommelier, Mary Watson in our aroma garden where we show how the power of herbs can influence your palate. Our Chief Tasting Officer is Kim and she is studying to become a Sommelier, so she too is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to wine.

A couple things to remember when going wine tasting this fall...

1. Eat breakfast, pack snacks/lunch and drink lots of water.

2. Swirl the wine in your glass...this will open up the wine and enhance the aromas.

3. Sniff the wine...how does it smell? Fruity? Floral? Spicy?

4. Sip...always try and make your wine sample into three sips so you can get the full flavors on your palate...remember that the first sip is usually a palate shocker so always try a second sip.

5. Savour...enjoy all those flavors of that wine on your palate from the front, to the middle and the finish.

Come out to Corcoran this fall to enjoy a day with friends and family as we hope to make your tasting experience a little better, one glass at a time.

Cheers!

What a Novel Idea....

2009-09-01T08:01:00.002-04:00

Fall time in Loudoun County is extremely picturesque. The leaves have turned beautiful shades of amber, gold, and sun burnt orange and you can hear the cool breeze rustling through the rainbow colored leaves......As you can see I have been inspired not only by the weather but also reading.

A great way to spend one of your weekend days is to head out to a new winery or one of your favorites but don't forget to bring a book. This last Sunday I spent the afternoon out on a patio of one of our local wineries, did a tasting, and then chose a bottle to pair nicely with my novel.

It was extremely relaxing and a great way for me to get engrossed into my book without being interrupted by phone calls, kids crying, making a snack, etc. All those things that really stop us from turning our thoughts into creative images of what our book is reading to us.

We all deal with stresses in our lives and fortunately we have a little piece of color, peace & libations just in our backyards.

Eat Well & Drink Well!
Kim

Filtering, Bottling & Harvest

2009-08-24T08:37:00.007-04:00

The fun times have just begun here at Corcoran...

We bottle our Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Mary's Cuvee this week. To get those wines ready to bottle, we have to sterile filter them first and that is usually a whole day event and this time we are planning on making it a 2 day event! Bottling is just a great time to see how it all happens. Watching the wine flow through the hoses and into the mobile bottling line is just amazing to see it come out as a complete package in the bottle. Please email me if you are interested in helping this Thursday, lori@corcoranvineyards.com.

Once bottling is complete, we are anticipating harvest to be just around the corner. Our Viognier is tasting sweet and yummy, the seeds are starting to become brown and crunchy, which is a good thing. And our Cabernet Franc is also becoming ripe and lush. Usually we will start with our white wines and move to the later harvest reds, but this year one never knows because of this heat we have had, all the grapes are ripening quite nicely and early...lets hope that the rain and/or hurricanes stay away until after harvest!

Cheers!

Recap on Summer '09

2009-08-11T15:03:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been one busy summer. Here I am pouring for a Ladies Night at Market Salamander in Middleburg. Corcoran Vineyards has been all over the place this summer...DC Wine Country Festival, several Farmer's Markets, Redskins Park, Lansdowne and MUCH MUCH MUCH more.

Shew, each year the summers just seem to fly by faster and faster. I can't believe fall time and the school year is coming up again so soon. Fall time is also very busy with more wine festivals so once you get the kids situated with the beginning of the school year, make sure you make time for yourself. There are some fun events coming up

Sept 19 & 20th -Bluemont Fair (Bluemont, VA)
Sept 19 & 20th - VA Wine Festival (Bull Run Park, Centerville, VA)
Oct 16th, 17th & 18th - Balloon Festival (Millwood, VA)

Eat Well & Drink Well!
Kim

Dog Days of Summer!

2009-08-06T15:01:00.004-04:00

As the summer time continues, we hedge the vineyard, bottle wine currently in tanks and/or barrels then we prepare for fall to start all over again.

Corcoran is currently finalizing our 2008 red blends and getting ready to bottle on August 27th. We will be bottling our Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Mary's Cuvee and our 2008 Chardonnay. If you would like to help, we are always looking for volunteers. This truly is a great experience to see how we get the wine into the bottle. And not to mention how much fun it is.

Remember that just because it is summer, the winery work never ends. Our tasting room is open on the weekends from 12-5 pm and the wine garden is open for all your group get-togethers. Mary Watson and myself are offering the magic of wine and herbs. Please email lori@corcoranvineyards.com if you want to book the event for yourself.

Cheers!

Zesty Mustard Viognier Dressing

2009-07-18T10:49:00.006-04:00

We attended the DC's Wine Country Food & Wine Festival this past weekend and what a weekend it was. I was fortunate to only have to work two days of the event and enjoy one day. While I was out tasting some fabulous Loudoun County wines, I came across Endless Summer Harvest, offering salad samples with an awesome dressing made with our Viognier. So...Mary Watson and myself got a glass of Corcoran Viognier, a plate of salad and did the food & wine pairing. All I can say is YUM!! So when pairing foods, including veges, it is nice to add some wine to your favorite recipe.

We also found some wild Wine Berries growing on the property at Whitehall, picked some and did a wine & berry pairing. It went very well with our Cabernet Franc, which has hints of raspberry. What I realized is that you don't have to think steak, chicken or pasta when doing your wine & food pairings...you can use simple herbs, fruit or veges to enhance the flavor profiles of a wine.

I thought everyone should try this pairing so here is the recipe...

Zesty Mustard Viognier Dressing

Ingredients:

1 c. Mayonnaise

1/4 c. Dijon Mustard

1/4 c. Viognier Wine

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Honey

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt

Yeild: Approximately 1.5 Cups

Instructions:

Wisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

DC's Wine Country Food & Wine Festival 2009

2009-07-04T08:18:00.002-04:00

This weekend we are getting in our 4th of July barbecues but what happens after all the fireworks are over? Make plans for the first annual DC's Wine Country Food & Wine Festival next weekend (July 10th -12th). Here is the website http://www.vafoodandwine.com/ But let me tell you why this is going to be the wine festival of the summer and why I am going to be there.

Not only is it being held at the historic Whitehall Manor in Bluemont, VA with 20 local wineries doing tastings, but never in this area has there been such a social wine appreciation event (how wine should be celebrated!) I am so excited that Mary Watson (a well known DC Sommelier) will be there showcasing her ingenious take on simplistic wine pairings in which she takes only herbs and pairs them with a particular wine. There will also be exotic hand blown wine glasses, scrumptious handmade chocolates and a book signing by Ellen Crosby who is very popular with her Wine Mysteries such as The Merlot Murders, The Chardonnay Charade, The Bordeaux Betrayal, and others. You have to check out the website to be able to see ALL the things that are going on. I would be typing for pages if you let me.

Remember when you go online to purchase tickets to type in the word corcoran as it will give you $5 your ticket price. Hope to see you there!

Eat Well & Drink Well (at the DC's Wine Country Wine & Food Festival!)
Kim

Ideas for Summer Time Fun

2009-06-17T14:03:00.002-04:00

School is almost out so that means summer is about to begin. Everyone starts coming out of the houses and making more of an appearance outdoors. What better way to gather people together than to host a wine tasting party. There are so many themes to choose from:

By Country
By Varietal
By a Letter in the Alphabet
GET CREATIVE!

Most of us are still not made of money so a neat idea is to have someone bring a dish their pairs with the wine they are bringing or if selecting wine by a country then have them make a dish whose origins are derived from that particular country. Also, there are TONS of trivia wine games that are fairly inexpensive and really break the ice.

In any case, wine is meant to be shared socially, so invite your neighbors, friends, and family and start a trend. The number of wine lovers are growing so you are bound to find that a passion for wine is something that most people will enjoy.

Drink Well! Eat Well!
Kim

"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine."

2009-06-11T16:32:00.008-04:00

While I was doing a wine delivery at the Leesburg Vintner in downtown Leesburg. At the register hung this nice wine picture with the saying "A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine" by Anthelme Brillat Savarin. It really got me thinking about how true that is. Whether with an appetizer, meal or dessert, one must make sure that we have the right wine with each food. Wine and food are meant to go together and when paired right...it is a pure delight!

Here are some of my favorite Corcoran wine pairings...

Viognier...with lots of fruit flavors, our 2008 is crisp so I pair it with my favorite; crab cakes or shrimp with old bay seasoning, but it will go nicely with most fish, tropical salsas or a wide range of lightly spicy foods.

Chardonnay...goes with a wide range of cuisine but I personally like it with popcorn on movie night, but of course the typical pairings would be cheeses, chicken, light pasta, or just enjoying sip by sip by the pool.

Chambourcin...with lots of cranberry and cherry flavors, try this wine with turkey, smoked salmon, BBQ hot dogs, or the acidity of a tomato like in pizza or spaghetti.

Cabernet Franc...this wine has a hint of black pepper and goes excellent with grilled red meats...a must have for your Dad's day BBQ's.

Malbec...my absolute favorite to pair because it goes the best with dark chocolate or desserts with chocolate and coffee like tiramisu...yum!

All you have to do is taste the wine to get it on your palette, try some of the food to be paired, then try the wine again...how was it?

Enjoy...Cheers!

Barbequing (Think outside of the box and into a wine bottle)

2009-05-26T13:11:00.003-04:00

By now we have all dusted off our grills and had our Memorial Day cookout but you know that with summer coming there are many more to come. No need to stick with the same ole same ole...think outside of the box and think more into a wine bottle.

Wines can be a FANTASTIC source to marinate your meats in. Chambourcin, which is a popularly grown grape in Northern Virginia, is an excellent choice for marinating. It doesn't have a pungent amount of tannins and can give your meat a nice touch of cranberry. Also don't forget to catch the drippings from your meats while cooking them. All that left over loveliness can easily be simmered down with a cup or 2 of wine, then add some rue of flour or cornstarch to thicken and it will be better than any sauce you could by from the store.

Don't forget that wine can be the beverage of choice at a cookout too. Any neutral oak Viognier or stainless steel Chardonnay would be as refreshing as your typical American pilsner. And if you are a red drinker then go back to the one mentioned above and have a glass of Chambourcin.

Just remember one thing when you cook, only use wine you would drink just on it's own. So break out one of your bottles, use a cup or 2 of it and the use the rest of it to pair with your meal. It's an easy way to make sure your wine pairs well.

Eat Well, Drink Well

Kim

Corcoran Vineyards in London

2009-05-14T05:17:00.005-04:00

Corcoran Vineyards had the pleasure of being part of the Virginia booth at the London International Wine Fair this week. We were one of two Loudoun County, DC's Wine Country wineries present, the other was Breaux Vineyards. Corcoran was offering two wines to taste, the Viognier and Cabernet Franc...both of which are considered to be Virginia grapes and that was the buz at the show.

People were "pleastantly surprised" at how good the Virginia wines were, especially the Viognier.

It is hard to believe that there are so many people out there that still don't even know that Virginia makes wine, not to mention good wine. So this leads us to continue on our mission to make the best wine we know how and hope the world enjoys it as much as we do making it.

Cheers.

The Start of Sangria Season

2009-05-05T16:49:00.003-04:00

What better time to start off the Sangria Season then on Cinco de Mayo! In year's past we have always kicked off Cinco de Mayo with putting limes in our Seyval Blanc to give it that margarita flare. This year our 2007 Seyval Blanc actually does better combined with our 2007 Chambourcin. It's so easy...1 bottle of Seyval Blanc to 1 bottle of Chambourcin makes an excellent size Sangria pitcher, throw some frozen fruit in there to act as your ice cubes and wha-la, it's a Sangria Sensation. The staff at Corcoran Vineyards always as their certain wine that they gravitate towards and recently I can say I've been gravitating towards this combo.

Napa Vs.Virginia Wine

2009-04-20T09:20:00.003-04:00

I recently was able to go on vacation visiting Napa and Sonoma counties in California. As I introduced myself to the tasting room staff and told them I was from Virginia I believe they were quite taken aback with my amount of knowledge and that I wasn't an aficionado of "fruity" wine. I think it's still somewhat the stereotype in the west that us east coasters are still finding our way in the wine world.

While we were there my friend and I visited about 18 wineries all over the place. In Sonoma we were in the Alexander Valley, the Dry Creek Valley, and the Russian River Valley. In Napa we tried wines in Napa proper, Yountville, Rutherford, Calistoga, and St. Helena. The California climate can specialize in varietals that Virginia can't even touch (the big one being Cabernet Sauvignon). But where I think Virginia has California beat by a mile is the exquisiteness of our Viognier. I only had one Viognier in California that I thought could rival Virginia's.

My assessment as we were leaving is that Virginia can easily rival in the white wine world. I absolutely loved the concentrated Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel which California does very well but I was very happy to return back home to the warmer weather that we have been having and open up a delicious bottle of white wine.

Wine Terminology

2009-04-09T11:02:00.001-04:00

As we begin the busy wine tasting season I thought it would be fun to go over some of the Wine Terminology that you will be hearing in the tasting rooms or at any of the upcoming wine festivals. Some will be told that the wine is Buttery, Chewy, Firm, or even Velvety, but what does that really mean? Here are a few definitions I think are very helpful…

ACIDITY: The presences of natural fruit acids that lend a tart, crisp
taste to the wine.
AROMA: Smells in wine that originates from the grape.
BOUQUET: Smells from winemaking, aging and bottle age.
BUTTERY: Rich, creamy flavor associated with barrel fermentation.
CHEWY: Wine that has a very deep, textured and mouth-filling sensation.
CORKED: Wine that has been tainted with moldy smells or other obvious flaws from a bad cork.
DRY: No sugar or sweetness remaining and a fruity wine can be dry.
EARTHY: Flavors and aromas of mushroom, soil and mineral.
FIRM: Texture and structure of a young, tannic red.
LEGS: Teardrop impressions of alcohol weightiness that are visible on the inside edges of a wine glass.
MALOLACTIC: Conversion of hard, malic acid, which is green apple flavors, in wine to soft, lactic acid, like rich butter flavors.
TANNIN: A drying, astringent sensation on the palate that is generally associated with heavier red wines.
TERROIR: French word reflecting the expression of soil, topography and climate in a wine.
VELVETY: Smooth-textured with deep, rich aromas and flavors.
VINTAGE: Year that grapes were harvested and fermented to make a wine.

Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Cheers!

Local Spring Break Ideas

2009-04-02T15:29:00.002-04:00

Many of us have had to put all those vacations to the exotic places on hold for Spring Break but that doesn't mean you can't get creative in your own backyard. Loudoun County is now DC's Wine Country. We have 23 wineries and more are popping up all the time. Each winery has its own personal touch so that each one you go to is a brand new world. Several are located near to one another making it convenient to experience all of these "worlds" in one day.

Also, in order to be a responsible wine taster, there are a ton of B&B's in the area which are very popular with the locals and a lot of them specialize in winery tours or know who to put you in contact with. With Loudoun having some of the most beautiful landscape in Northern Virginia, you can't go wrong with the hospitality, views & relaxing atmospheres.

You also can't miss all the must see (or taste) "non-chain" restaurants that Loudoun has. If you want to eat at the start of your tour or the end of your tour then Leesburg is the place to be. Market Station, which is a wooden 2 story "strip mall" in downtown Leesburg is a great place to find a unique place to eat. Also in downtown Leesburg if you walk up and down either Loudoun St or King St you are bound to see a quaint place that will offer what you want. Purcellville is a good town to visit if you want to eat in the middle of your winery visits. Places like Magnolia's at the Mill, the Grill, and tons of other "mom & pop" places are there as well. Another unique place is a restaurant out past Hillsboro called Grandale Farm Restaurant. This place is out in the "middle of nowhere" as it has been described but once you go there the trip is worth it.

Loudoun Wineries are a fun place to visit but just remember a few things before you head out: have a designated driver, if coming with a group of 6 or more you will want to call ahead or make an appointment to make your visit more enjoyable, check the hours of the winery as they all aren't the same and some may be closed on Easter Sunday.

Happy Spring Break & Easter!
Kim
CTO
Corcoran Vineyards

"What is the definition of good wine? ... "

2009-03-26T09:37:00.005-04:00

“What is the definition of good wine? It should start and end with a smile” quote by William Sokolin.

That is truly why I am in the wine business…to smile all the time. Not only the people I have met by being in the wine business, but the wine I have had the opportunity to taste just makes me want to smile. I recently took a wine tour to Charlottesville with some wine enthusiasts; the wine we tasted from the barrels with the winemakers and owners was phenomenal. We just smiled the entire weekend.

Corcoran is starting to hop into spring with lots of activities planned for the month of April. First we will be bottling on April 16th, which is always a very exciting event to help with. We even get to enjoy the ever famous “bucket wine” at the end of the day.

Then on Sunday, April 19th we will have our first annual Summer Sizzle Picnic Pairing at Corky’s Pond. Not only will we pair wines with Hot Dogs, Crab Cakes, Chicken BBQ, Slaw & S’mores, but we will have an introduction to the “Power of Herbs with Wines” by sommelier Mary Watson-DeLauder. This will be a fun event, not to be missed. Reservations are required; please check our website for more information.

Finally we will be starting the festival season. On April 24th & 25th, Corcoran will be off to Winchester to be at Apple Blossom and then on the 25th & 26th we are at James River Wine Festival. The fun is just beginning so if you have ever wanted to volunteer for a festival, please send me an email and I will get you on the list.

Cheers!

Trying to decide between a red or a white wine with this weird weather?

2009-03-19T21:17:00.002-04:00

This weather is throwing us wine lovers for a loop, especially those that enjoy both red and white wine. So what's the solution? How can we cope until the weather truly turns to spring? Last month Punxsutawney Phil said that we are looking at more winter. Our wood loving creature may actually be a good start for ideas. How about a full bodied Chardonnay? A Chardonnay from the Mersault region of Burgundy would (wood :) ) be full bodied and give you the heavy mouth feel of oak you are looking for during the cold days but also can be served a little colder. Speaking of Burgundy...how about Pinot Noir from the Cote d'Beaune. These Pinots are much more delicate and feminine than those from the Cote d'Nuit so this would be another excellent decision for bridging the gap. Come to Corcoran's class on March 28th and we can have so much fun covering and discussing these neat little nuances of the wine world. Wine Sensations & the Art of Taste

Kim
CTO
Corcoran Vineyards

Spring has Sprung!

2009-03-11T11:38:00.004-04:00

I feel as if spring is already here with all this warm weather!
I see green coming up out of the ground as my daffodils and tulips are the first to emerge from the winter season. Trees and bushes have full buds, which means our vines are right behind. Pruning the vineyard needs to be finished up within the next week. And then we need to prepare the soil to help keep the vineyard healthy.

I am now preparing for bottling on April 16th (volunteers are always needed!). We will be bottling our whites and possibly our Barbera, which is new to Corcoran. It is a red Italian varietal that, as of 2000, was the 3rd most-planted red grape in Italy. It has low tannins and high levels of acid, but we will put a small blend with it to help balance the acid, alcohol and fruit. I am looking forward to continuing on with this grape.

We have lots of fun events scheduled now that the day is longer and the weather is warmer…

First on the list is March 28th, we are having two wine courses being offered by Kim Smith, CTO at Corcoran. 11:00am-1:00pm will be Wine Sensations & the Art of Taste, which is the story of the Grape, the Crush and the Swirl. Then from 2:00-4:00pm we will be having a second wine course, Varietal Characteristics of Wine. Both classes are $35, reservations required and will include lunch with wine.

Then we move into April which will be a fun-filled month for all Corcoran Wine Lovers. April 19th we are having our first annual Summer Sizzle Picnic Pairing at Corky’s Pond from 2-5pm. Space is limited so make your reservations early.

Cheers!

Corcoran's Wine Classes March 28th

2009-03-02T11:58:00.005-05:00

Well I have now finished my 1st half of my Sommelier class and boy is my head swimming with information. I thought it would be fun to do some classes at Corcoran for all those people wanting to hone in a little more on the aspect of tasting wine, become comfortable with verbally expressing themselves, learn a little history and just meet other wine loving people.

I plan to do 2 classes that day each about 2 hours long. The 1st class I plan on doing will be a broad spectrum on the history of wine and wine making along with touching on basic food pairings in which we take 6 wines and compare them all to salt, sugar, lemon, a soft cheese & a hard cheese.

The 2nd class will go into more detail about the most popular red and white varietals. We'll talk about the history of that particular grape, different areas of the world it's made, what makes it different, the typical flavors associated with it, etc.

This should be a lot of fun, the class will be small with about 10-12 people so we can bounce ideas, thoughts, etc off of one another, and of course we will be tasting plenty of wine (with the option of spitting if one wants) but we just want people to come out, have fun, and feel like they walked away with some solid knowledge.

You can go to our website at http://www.corcoranvineyards.com/events.htm and register.

Kim Smith
CTO
Corcoran Vineyards

We're Back!!

2009-02-23T09:19:00.002-05:00

It has been a very busy winter.
Where do I start?
Before the holidays we had the sad news of “Corky”, my father-in-law, having suffered a severe stroke…he was one of our most enthusiastic & vibrant tasting room staff…he is doing GREAT now and we hope to have him back in the tasting room some day.

The wine is doing great…we feel that 2008 turned out to be a pretty decent year here in Virginia. Looking forward to bottling soon since we are currently sold out of our 2007 Viognier…yikes!!

We are ready to be back open both Saturday and Sunday from 12-5 pm as the spring is fast approaching. With all the sunshine heading our way means that we are closer to opening our herb garden. This will be a once a month experience not to be missed. Tasting the herbs and then tasting wine and seeing how they enhance one another, is awesome. So starting next weekend, February 28th and March 1st, Corcoran Vineyards will be open 12-5pm. Check our website for the opening of the herb/aroma garden soon.

We also have a couple of very exciting events this month…Thursday, February 26th Corcoran has teamed up with Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville, VA to offer a wine dinner. Check the Events page for the menu…yum!

On Saturday, February 28th, Mary Watson DeLauder comes to Corcoran Vineyards to offer a first and only tasting of her Mary’s Cuvee. It’s a red wine blend made exclusively for Mary in a very limited production. This is a must have for your cellar.

Cheers…

"Tis the Season..."

2008-12-13T12:06:00.005-05:00

...for presents, family, fun and libations and all this girl wants for Christmas is wine. So I have set out once again to expand my palate and illuminate my taste buds with some international varieties. I have come to love the white grape, Viognier, but I know that there are many other white wines out there. I have now discovered a grape which is a popular white in Spain & Portugal, Albariño. I would say that an Albariño bridges the gap for all those white wine drinkers who at holiday parties have the hard decision of settling between the ever now so popular choices of Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. Try something different this year. You can find some very decently priced wines (which is a plus in this economy) with this varietal. In Spain you'll find Albariño from the Rias Biaxas region (northwestern part of Spain) These are very good and have a little more body than ones from Portugal. Portugal's region of Vinho Verde is where you will find Albariño and is very cheaply priced. These are a little lighter bodied but have all the beautiful flavors of lemon pith, lime, and slight flint. So do yourself and all your holiday guests a favor this year, open their eyes to one of the hundreds of varieties that another part of our world offers and let that be your early New Years Resolution.

My "Fieldtrip" to Local Vineyards

2008-10-19T11:29:00.004-04:00

The past few weeks I have fortunately been able to experience what it is like on the other side of the bar. A few years ago I had frequented the local wineries A LOT (but I won't say how much, that can stay my secret) Because of work, kids, life, etc. I had let my hobby go by the wayside...but not anymore. I was able to go to some wineries in Loudoun, Fauquier & even Prince William. What a eye opening experience to be able to see what other wineries are doing. Virginia is really upping its game for experience, variety, knowledge & scenery. I was very pleased with the service I got at most places but I will say that some could rethink their customer service. I was disappointed in one "unnamed" place as I had set my itinerary of daily wineries around this one in particular which I felt did not deliver. All in all, though, who can complain all that much when going to wineries. The nice thing about Virginia wineries is that you get a laid back yet informed ambiance. I feel very lucky to have all of this low key culture around me to satisfy my hobby.

Sommelier Class 9/28

2008-09-28T22:41:00.005-04:00

Well, I had my first Sommelier class 6 days ago and I am still amazed by the enlightenment. It's amazing what 8 wine loving people in one room will do in a wine learning/tasting experience. The 6.5 hour evening (5 PM - 11:30 PM) covered a lot of information starting from the history of wine to viticulture (the growing of grapes) to viniculture (the making of wine) to the nuances of Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay. Yes, A LOT of information to process but fortunately was presented by an EXCELLENT instuctor of the International Sommelier Guild. I'll have to get use to the "swishing & spitting" so that I can be a responsible NOVA driver. Maybe I will look into asking the company of Girls Night Out to take me to and from my class each week :)

Harvest

2008-09-26T16:18:00.002-04:00

What a week this has been. The Chardonnay and Viognier have been picked and processed.
The chardonnay came from Jack and Cindy Lowther vineyard in Purcellville, the fruit was excellent and we are looking forward to creating a wonderful wine from it. If you are interested in learning more about their vineyard, please visit our website and click on Vineyards.

Our chiller broke during the chardonnay fermentation, but Sunset Hills Vineyard http://www.sunsethillsvineyard.com/ had an extra one on hand we could borrow and that saved our Chardonnay. If you have not been by Sunset Hills, I highly recommend it. Mike and Diane have done a beautiful job in restoring the old barn and the wines are fantastic.

Sommelier Classes

2008-09-22T15:01:00.005-04:00

Tonight is the start of my Sommelier Classes. These will be taken at the Art Insitute of Washington through the International Sommelier Guild. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! I will give occasional updates as to how things are going, what we are learning, etc. I know there is so much information on wine so I'm hoping that I can relay my passion and now soon to be knowledge to other people.

New Website

2008-09-12T10:07:00.001-04:00

We are excited our new website is up and running and it is such an improvement over our old site. Please visit the new site at http://www.corcoranvineyards.com/ Mandy Corcoran, my sister-in-law created it and so if you like it and would like for her to create an awesome site for you, just email her at mailto:mandy@corcoranvineyards.com

We are testing grapes every few days to see if they are ready for harvest. We tested Riesling grapes last night and they are ready, so as the grapes are being picked as I write this blog. Our Chardonnay will be picked on Tuesday of next week. If any of you are so inclined to want to help please contact Lori at mailto:lori@corcoranvineyards.com

09-09-08

2008-09-09T12:01:00.000-04:00

We are preparing for the 08 harvest and things are quite busy at the winery.
Rainfall this past Saturday, 09/06/08 totaled over 5 inches. This has caused us to push out our harvest of our Viognier for another few weeks.

It’s hard to believe it’s already fall and the kids are back in school. We had a great summer and went on many vacations together as a family. We went to Port Republic for a week. Our next stop was the Otter Banks for another week. I also got to escape with my girlfriends for a week down in Florida.

One of my goals that I strive for as the wine maker is to truly understand what great wine tastes like. I know that sounds odd, but if you don’t know what great wine tastes like, how do you know that the wine you are making is great. Thus, one of the perks of my job is sample many wines each week and to visit many of the great wineries. This allows me to sharpen my skills as a wine maker and continue to raise the bar with our own wines here at Corcoran.

I am busy getting all the testing equipment calibrated and getting the pumps and press ready for action. This is an exciting year for us, as this will be the first year in our new winery. Our goal with the new winery was to keep it simple, but very efficient and we have achieved that goal. Further, we have added 8000 liters of jacketed tanks as well as upgraded our pumps to variable speed, which is gentler on the wine. We also added a lab to the new winery and outfitted it with state of the art testing equipment.

The winery itself is completely temperature & humidity controlled and all the air goes through UV lighting to circumvent any contamination issues that could occur. In addition, we have added a patio and wine garden next to the new winery for special events, such as barrel tastings, wine brunches, and aroma seminars. We will have updates on our website about these events as they approach.

Welcome to our new blog!

2008-09-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Lori's Blog, offering news and views from both our winemaker and our in-house sommlier. We hope you enjoy reading the blog and please don't hesitate to respond to any post. We ask that you are polite and respectful and avoid profanity or anything that may be offensive to other readers.

We encourage visits to our tasting room located just outside the village of Waterford. The tasting room itself is in a 1750 restored log cabin. We have a picnic area by the beautiful pond. There is a $5 charge for tasting, though that fee will bring you tastings of at least 7 distinctive wines.