Homemade Catawba Wine

By Greg B: Well, it happened earlier than I had planned.  I got the chance to produce my own wine.  I amazingly, Jessica’s backyard had enough nutrients to allow my vines to grow and produce enough grapes to make 1 gallon of wine!  Below, I’ll take you on a step by step method by which I made what will surely be an interesting wine.  I notice that Mike doesn’t have a section on Catawba wines… the wine that started people thinking “hey, yeah, we CAN actually grow grape vines in America and produce wine over there!”.  So, hopefully I won’t mess this wine up!

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Maryland Wholesalers vs. Consumers - Part 4.1.08

Well, it seems like the wholesalers have done it again in this great state of Maryland. The anti-shipping lobbyist Bruce Bereano reportedly held a wine-tasting of sorts for state legislatures and wholesalers last evening at his Maryland estate. It was at this tasting that Bearano and wholesalers convinced the state legislatures that in fact, allowing Marylanders to travel to wine regions or restaurants outside of the State of Maryland could possibly cause alcohol to slip into the hands of teenagers. Also, it is reported that Maryland residents may no longer leave the state to spend money on any food or wine, without making contributions to the Bereano lobbyist foundation and sending payments to the starving Maryland wholesalers. I have acquired a list of wines that were tasted, as well as Bereano’s personal tasting notes.

2004 Zima Brut: Sources say the recent classification of these Flavored Malt Beverages as “Beer” was celebrated at the onset of the evening. It is rumored that a group of teenage girls suggested the 2004 vintage over the 2005 (current release) as it’s their preferred beverage of choice. Sadly, the only attendants on hand that enjoyed the flavor and packaging of the Zima were the teenage girls who apparently noted that “all flavored malt beverages are basically made for us- our cheerleading team loves them, hee hee hee…”

2005 Fat Bastard Chardonnay: This lightly oaked chardonnay was well received by the crowd, of whom many seemed to relate to the labeling.

1940 Nero di Preddapio: This wine which is a tribute to fascist leader Benito Mussolini was apparently a huge favorite of this crowd. As they drank the wine, Bereano was said to have led a march around his home wearing full military fatigues and carrying the US Flag.

2002 Rude Boy Chardonnay: This South African Chardonnay was on hand, but the corks were never removed. It was reported that many of the lobbyists and legislatures were seen carrying the bottles around and “taking in” the label art. One was seen licking the label, but no tasting notes provided.

2002 Riverbank Estate JAILBIRD Red: A blend of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel, this was said to be Bereano’s favorite. Jammy and overconcentrated, apparently this wine has been Bereano’s favorite since the 2000 lawsuit which stated the following (all factual with support from this reference):

Attorney Grievance Commission v. Bereano,
2000.MD.0042013 (Md. 01/13/2000)

“Bruce C. Bereano (Bereano), a member of the bar of this Court since 1969, was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in November 1994 on seven counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1346.”

“The federal indictment alleged that, from May 1990 until June 1991, Bereano “knowingly and willfully devise[d] and intend[ed] to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud” his lobbying clients of money by false pretenses, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and to deprive them of their right to his “loyal, faithful, honest, and unbiased service[s],” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1346. *fn2″”

It’s this disloyal, lying, deceiving man who is currently the lead lobbyist for the wholesaler’s winning position against the people of Maryland and their right to a free market. All jokes aside at this point- it’s ridiculous this guy is even allowed to drive into the city of Annapolis. Hey, at least he apparently throws a great “wine” tasting.

For more great wine labels, see: www.winelabels.org
Disclaimer: In case you couldn’t tell, all information up to the discussion of the lawsuit against Bereano was fictitious. Happy April 1st!

SB-616: Maryland Direct Shippers Bill - Update from Annapolis: No resolution today!

If you ever thought about spending 6 hours in a senate hearing without eating anything before hand, let me tell you…DON’T! Kim and I just sat through what was actually an interesting afternoon before the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. We heard about some interesting bills before the senate, including a “definition of beer” bill that I’ll review at some other time. For now, we’re sitting at a wine bar on Main St. in downtown Annapolis, enjoying a glass of wine, waiting for food, and eavesdropping on a few of the opponents arguments of the bill sitting two tables over!

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An underdog story? MD Direct Shipping Bill: The Final Round: 03/07/2008

I’m a big fan of the Rocky movies (well, I - IV anyways!). They are the ultimate underdog story - a local Philadelphia boxer who is mediocre at best in his amateur career is given a shot at the champ. Everyone counts him out, the champ hasn’t prepared well, and in the end, he fights a great fight to the final bell and almost pulls off the greatest upset of all time.

Our fight isn’t for glory or money, it’s for market freedom and let me tell you, we Maryland consumers are the major underdogs. The wholesalers and their lobbyists have spent a lot of money and time to make sure this bill goes down. But there’s one round left and perhaps we have some fight left in us. The date and venue? The state capital building in Annapolis next Friday at 1:00 PM. It doesn’t matter what got us to this hearing, the only thing that matters now is we give it our all.

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Results from the Maryland Wine Festival

This years Maryland Wine Festival showcased wines from 19 of Maryland’s Wineries. Many of the wines featured were examples of the great care and quality of wine making in this up-and-coming state. The top prize from the Maryland Wine Festival went to long-time winemaker Robert Deford of Boordy Vineyards with three of his wines taking top prize in class. I look forward to seeing the states wineries and vineyards develop over the next 5 years and have great hope for the quality of wines we will see in the future.

The following list is of the “Best in Class” wines:

Best Semi-Dry: Boordy Vineyards, Vidal Blanc - 2006
Best Blush: Boordy Vineyards, Blush - NV
Best Sweet: Linganore Winecellars, Traminette - 2005
Best Fruit: Fiore Winery, Plum - NV
Best Dry White: Boordy Vineyards, Chardonnay - 2006
Best Dry Rose: St. Michael’s Winery, A Nice Dry Rose - 2006
Best Dry Red: Linganore Winecellars, Chambourcin - 2002