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Winslow welcomes winery By BILL DUHART ? Courier-Post Staff ? April 29, 2008
Larry Sharrott III, left, and Larry Sharrott Jr. pose for a portrait in the tasting room of Sharrott Winery, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 in Winslow. (Douglas M. Bovitt/Courier-Post)
WINSLOW ? For Pam Merkey, another wine-maker in the neighborhood was nothing to raise an eyebrow about.
"We all make wine around here," said Merkey, who lives on South Egg Harbor Road here in the Blue Anchor section of the township. "This is a very strong Italian community. We all visit each other's houses on Sundays to taste each other's wine."
But when the chance came for a relative to sell 34 acres of land that had been in her husband's family for generations to an upstart commercial wine operation, the family jumped at it.
"They could have sold that . . . and split it up but they didn't," said Merkey, 47, a residential development banker. "It got to stay what it is and that's a lot better than five houses out there."
That's the way Larry Sharrott III and his father Larry Sharrott Jr. feel about it. The Sharrott farm bucks a recent trend in a township shedding its farming identity for rapid residential growth. Residential land makes up 76 percent of the taxable property here, compared to only 5 percent for farms.
The Sharrotts, computer technicians by trade who have an affinity for distilling spirits, bought the land in 2003 for $175,000.
The winery offers 10 varieties of wine showcased in a 450-square-foot tasting bar atop a plateau with a patio overlooking the vineyard. The tasting bar is part of a 2,500-square-foot building that also houses the winemaking operation with grapes grown in the vineyard.
"We see ourselves as a bulkhead against development," said Sharrott Jr., 60, a retired computer executive. "They call this the Garden State but most of the gardens are turning into somebody's backyard."
"We're preserving open space and our farm is a new business for the township," added Sharrott III, 33, whose day job is at defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
The property, once an apple orchard, is zoned rural and restricted to one house per 10 acres of land, which officials said is not likely to change. But it had been vacant for several years.
"No question, it's something everyone welcomes," said Ed McGlinchey, township zoning officer and director of public works. "It's pretty obvious we had a big influx of single-family homes stretching back to the 1960s. Times were great for the residential building community."
But a sewer connection ban in the rapidly growing township has put a cap on new growth. Eighty-one percent of Winslow is in the environmentally protected Pinelands preserve. The Sharrott farm is in the Pinelands but farms are exempt from many of the restrictions.
"It takes a lot longer to get other types of businesses approved and its a lot more expensive," McGlinchey said. "We're not going to get a huge amount of taxes from the winery, but it keeps with the traditional character of the township."
Read the rest at: http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/NEWS01/804290373/1006/news01
Reach Bill Duhart at (856) 486-2576 or bduhart@courierpostonline.com
Light gold in color, with chamomile and lemon character on the nose. Full-bodied, with medium acidity and flavors of dried apple and pear. Drink now. 50,000 cases made.
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The warm days of summer are almost upon us - time to break out the white wine. Versatile as an aperitif and food-friendly, Sauvignon Blanc is as varied in style and complexity as are completely different ... via Well Fed Network
In my old age I’ve really been turning the dial on skeptical cynicism. To that end, nothing rankles me more than more government. Well, at least more government where it shouldn’t be. Saving people from themselves, yes. Helping those that need help, yes. Ensuring children can maximize their potential, yes. State-run liquor stores, no.
The upshot is that the Governor of the state, Ed Rendell, told the head of the PCLB, PJ Stapleton, to, “Run this place like a business, not a government bureaucracy.”
Gee, I can’t imagine anything as government-like as a $3.6M dollar contract with a branding firm. Now that I think about it, it’s awfully corporate, as well.
I want to say: guys, I’ll take a consulting fee of 10% on that $3.6M and save you the balance. With the savings, the PCLB can do one of two things--either drive to New York City with a bunch of MBA students who need a capstone project and go to every retailer in the city. Subsequently steal ideas from all that is good. Alternatively, head to Costco, the largest wine retailer in the country, and study how to sell high-volume low qty. sku’s to an adoring public.
There, I just saved them a bunch of money. I’ll wait for my check to arrive.
Kopaonik is the largest Serbian ski resort. It is a popular place for domestic skiers and is becoming increasingly popular with foreign visitors. Although “Kopaonik” is actually a large mountain, the term usually refers to the area around the “Grand” hotel and the apartment complex “Sun?ani Vrhovi”. The area is small but contains quite a few hotels and private houses. It’s self contained, with shops, banks, a post office, etc. Apart from the restaurants in hotels, there are a few good restaurants around. In this article I’ll write about the restaurants I’ve visited this year, it might help you make the right choice (I didn’t have any tips at all…).
Etno club “Sunce”
This restaurant is located at the end of a quiet cool-de-sac, in the woods, a 5 minute walk from the Grand hotel. It looks very small from the outside, but it’s quite a spacious place. The atmosphere is great, fairly traditional, with two open fire places, a mixture of smaller and larger tables, a nice blend of loudness and privacy. The music wasn’t great, but that’s the easiest thing to change . The food was excellent and so was the service. They offer mainly Serbian dishes, if you’re not sure what to choose from the menu, the waiters will help you with their recommendations, you can trust them. The wine list includes wines from some of the better Serbian cellars, such as Radovanovi? and Aleksandrovi? (Topola). Go for Aleksandrovi?’s red or white Triumph, they are some of the best wines Serbia has to offer. Overall, it’s a great place, I’ll be back.
Food quality 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service: 5/5 Price 3/5 (moderate, but excellent value) Wine list 3/5 (Radovanovi?, Aleksandrovi?)
Na?a ku?a
This place reminds me of modern pubs-restaurants in Ireland. It has a large bar area in the center, with large tables around, a couple of two seater tables in the corner for some extra privacy and a cosy open fire in the front. Both the interior of the restaurant and the furniture are made of light coloured wood, and there are stripes of small red lights throughout. There’s also a big video beam that mainly shows snow scenes during the day. It is a place frequented by the younger crowd and is open quite late into the nigth (until 3am). They have a small but well-chosen menu (which is also extremely well designed) and it’s obvious they put a lot of effort to make it a bit different from other restaurants in the vicinty. The chef is excellent, and the food is great, so give “Na?a Ku?a” a try if you get tired from the Serbian cousine and are looking for some European tastes. It is one of the more expensive restaurants, with a full dinner for two with a bottle of wine and a dessert producing a bill of around 50 euros. The wine choice is not great, but they do have a few wines apart from the regular choice, we recommend the wines from the Terra Lazarica range.
Food quality 5/5 Atmosphere 4/5 (nice mix of modern and traditional, younger crowd) Service: 4/5 Price 2/5 (expensive) Wine list 2/5
Etno ku?a Studenica
If you’re on a lower budget looking for good quality Serbian food you should visit the etno restaurant Studenica. Pick one of the two tables on the far left to avoid looking at the interior of the kitchen and to avoid the local crowd on the right side. The place is clean, the food was great and the waiter was top-notch, but the problem with this place is that it has too much light, it is visited by the local crowd and generally the level of privacy is quite low.
Food quality 4/5 Atmosphere 2/5 Service: 4/5 Price 4/5 (relatively cheap, good value) Wine list 1/5
Zvrk
This is a very popular restaurant located at the center of ski activities (the “baby slope”, ski lifts Karaman Greben and Pan?i?ev Vrh), just besides the Grand hotel. The restaurant has two levels, the upper one being more packed and colorful, the lower one containing a large center-located open fire place. This fire creates a very tempting smell outside the restaurant, which is the main reason you probably won’t resist getting into it. In general, it’s not a bad place, but there are much better choices around…
Food quality: 2/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Price: 3/5 Wine list: 1/5 (just the very basic Serbian wines)
With the help of Bron Marshall and J I seem to be back on track. I'm now under www.winosandfoodies.com . Which means you will need to alter your subscription in your readers as originally my URL was set to winosandfoodies.TYPEPAD.com and that is where you would have subsscribed to.
One of my accounts handed me this wine review, written up by a former employee. "She wasn't all there..." they noted, and went on to say she'd find reviews online and cut and paste without actually reading them. This little gem was up for quite a while until horrified customers noted that they wouldn't buy the wine because the description was so off-putting. I, however, find it to be brilliant and would love to partake in the Ecstatic Singing Mantra whenever it transpires. So I searched for wine reviews of Jest Red online, and apparently, most of this review appeared on A Little Vino Would Be Keeno. Which is clearly now my favorite site. Ever.
"Blended from seven noble grape varietals, the nose is deeply perfumed with wild dewberries, Himalayan breeding musk, and horehound candy, while the flavors, so titillating they may only be disclosed in the Ecstatic Singing Mantra. Pair with beef, pork, pasta with red sauce, cheese or chocolate, or go wild and have it with pizza, burgers or even burritos!"
I'm not quite sure which is the best part of that - is it the Himalayan breeding musk or the pairings? It's sublime on so many levels.
Tait The Ball Buster 2005 $15 Wine Label says: G’day Mates, I don’t know what aromas and flavors you’ll find when you try this wine - wine appreciation is so subjective and often too pretentious for my liking. I make my wines the way i like them - big, thick, juicy an deep in color. I wanted to [...]
Firstly I'm having further problems with my blog which go back to the previous problems I had. Up until this morning everything was working, then Typepad went down and when Typepad came back up my blog decided to be silly. So you may have problems assessing a page and you will have a problem leaving a comment. If you remove the words "my weblog/" from the browser bar comments will work.
I hope to sort it out soon. It couldn't have happened at a worse time.
We have one more participant to A Taste Of Yellow.....and that brings us to a nice round number of 180. From Chuck in San Francisco at Sunday Nite Dinner the 180th entry is Spicy Corn Salad. Sorry no photo at this point.
It seems to be cold and rainy more often than not these days, even though the calendar says it's spring. Luckily we were given a true spring-like day this weekend, which allowed us to have our first alfresco lunch of the season. As Nancy and I sat on the back deck with some grilled jalapeño shrimp on a bed of arugula, the meal and setting called for one thing: rosé.
Recently Tom Wark posted a piece on Fermentation titled On Dogs, Wine & God that compares wine characteristics to the traits that are bred into dogs. Quoting one of his commenters, wine blogger Arthur Z Przebinda of Redwinebuzz, Tom says: "What makes a Doberman a classic example of the breed? The way it best displays the traits and characteristics that define the breed," then goes on to point out that over time dog breeders have bred out or in certain characteristics based on evolving breed standards, that the same thing has happened with wine, and that's perfectly OK.
The Doberman is a perfect example, since the Dobes of today are bred to be companions more than the protector that German tax collector Louis Dobermann created in the late 1800s. Today's Dobes are bred to retain all the qualities Herr Dobermann was after ? intelligence, power, speed, and ease of mainenance ? but with a more tractable temperament suitable for a family dog. Similarly, some wines that were previously unapproachable or challenging have been changed so that they can be enjoyed by a larger segment of the population. In each case, there are curmudgeonly traditionalists and those who embrace the new style, and their viewpoints are equally valid.
This seems like a good way to segue into an introduction to our newest staff member here at WineCanine, a 10-month-old Doberman named Hobbes. Hobbes came to us through Southwestern Ohio Doberman Rescue, which had him in a foster home in Louisville, Kentucky. Hobbes was named Sirius by SWODR and apparently had been called Buster at one time, judging by the name on the leash that he came with. We had originally gone down to meet a red Dobe named Calvin, who, with his long tail and natural ears, looked quite a bit like our Red, who passed on in late March. Calvin was nice, but this young, fawn-colored fella turned out to be a Weim lover. So, we went down to look at Calvin, but ended up with Hobbes.
Hobbes has been very interested in learning about everything in the kitchen, so after a brief training period he will assume the position of WineCanine's official ChowHound.
Brilliance is a word that can mean many things: luminosity, intelligence, perfectly executed and, when it comes to flavor, lively and electric. All of those things come together in these two seductive, brilliant wines that are great values to boot coming in at under $25.
2005 Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie, Imported by Louis/Dressner Every time I’ve served this wine each person at their first sip is taken back for a second as they ponder what has crossed their palate. Each knows that they have experienced something special. This is an extraordinary wine is that is is just so alive that it makes you take more pleasure in living. Concentrated elegance and finesse.
2005 Bourgogne, Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Joseph Voillot. Imported by Vintage ‘59 Imports – Anybody who thinks there are no great values coming out of Burgundy be prepared to be proven wrong. This racy, bright pinot noir also comes packed with loads of flavor and complexity on its rather electric acid frame. Here’s a pinot that can both sing and dance. A short stint in your cellar of two or three years will give you quite a bottle of pinot.
A pair of 5’s may seem a long shot to those that think a lot of chips are required to get great wine, but sometimes a pair is all you need. These days it’s hard to imagine such a winning hand at this price range from anywhere other than France.
The scientific method is a great tool for examining assumptions. You postulate a theory, you develop a way to test your hypothesis and then you analyze the data. Eventually you publish your findings in a peer review journal. Then it is rinse and repeat.
In the world of wine the requisite experimentation that is the crux of scientific study can take a long time. A very long time in the case of vineyards. To observe a change in a vineyard often takes decades, and in the case of vineyard to well aged wine, a lifetime may easily pass.
This leads to many theories being put into practice before they have been tested. The real world is the laboratory of wine. It is easy to understand why one might be hesitant to experiment in their vineyard, a vineyard that may be the sole source of one?s livelihood.
The result are beliefs that remain in place without a great deal of study or scientific foundation to back them up. This was the subject of a speech given recently at the American Society of Enology and Viticulture conference by UC Davis? Michael Anderson. The title ?Busting Wine Myths? neatly sums up one of my own reoccurring themes. If you are so inclined, the link above makes a good read.
Anderson and others at the conference cited various well held beliefs as being facetious. They included the theory of removing fruit from the vine to help increase the concentration of flavor in the remaining berries, as well as checking assumptions regarding long held irrigation practices.
Myths persist in any field, but the mystique surrounding wine helps to perpetuate and maintain dogmatic points of view. Few are immune from this practice. I have seen my own convictions fall prey when tested. I have every reason to assume there are others yet to be toppled.
What is the lesson to be learned? That believing is easier than knowing, to be sure, but more than that it is important to remember that everyone gets it wrong now and then. Conventional wisdom changes with fashion and embraces fads, but empirical evidence stands the test of, well.. testing.
Monolithic wine beliefs seem to be overturned with each new vintage. New data, new experiments, and better testing models help us understand wine in a way not possible just a decade earlier. As this trend continues, and as technology continues to solve problems, I fully expect wine to become more consistent and of higher general quality.
I am not sure that the high end of quality will ever budge, a great wine is a great wine by any standard. What we will continue to see is the bar being raised on the low end. Bulk wines may someday be better than what was bought as special occasion wine a generation ago.
Through it all a few voices cry out warnings. ?Beware that we do not lose site of ?place? in wine, terroir is what makes wine special.? Listen to the voices, it is variety that makes wine fun. Most of all, as always, listen to your own voice and drink what you enjoy. Busting myths make for great TV and we pundits love how it makes us sound when we espouse on the latest discovery, but it is, always has been, and always will be, just about the juice.
98-100 points Parker: "The 2003 Ermitage Le Meal blanc may be the finest dry white I have ever tasted. Providing a prodigious tasting experience, it is filled with honeyed citrus, an unctuous stoniness to the fruit character, amazing body, and abundant freshness, precision, and length (the finish lasts nearly 90 seconds). A legend in the making, it is an incredible effort."
I attended an event the other night hosted by one of our local public radio stations, KAZU, and one of my favorite culinary celebrities – Lynne Rosetto Kasper—at Mary Pagan’s Culinary Center of Monterey. The food was prepared by Mary Pagan’s students and was delicious and well-conceived (as usual), and the folks who attended were a delight. Someone asked me the question of “How do I find Pinots that I like?” Good question.
These days, the field of Pinot Noir can be truly daunting and amazing at the same time [how does one pick one off a store shelf?]. Within only a decade, the Pinot Noir winemaking industry has undergone an incredible change—new folks have entered the industry, new vineyards, clones, rootstocks have been planted on new sites all over the state, new wineries and labels have popped up like Google ads, and [most importantly] a gamut of styles of Pinot Noir has developed. The range of Pinot Noir, as I see it starts on one end with a typically “light” style: light in color and weight. These wines are usually very aromatic with these aromas: cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, roses, spices. These wines will often be described as “elegant”. Then there are the middle weights. These have a darker hue—ruby to garnet and usually display darker fruit character—blackberry, black cherry, plums. These usually display a medium-weight, greater texture and nice finish. These might have a little more extracted tannin. Then there are the heavy weights. Plums, black currants, blueberries are the fruits, and many of these wines might display tobacco, cigar, coffee characters as well. These are “big” wines and are normally heavily-extracted and might have been aged in a high-percentage of new oak as well. Dark, deep , rich are some of the descriptors used.
The ongoing debate regarding Pinot Noir in the wine industry these days is about what style is “true” to Pinot’s nature? How much influence does/should a winemaker have on a wine vs. the effects of the growing conditions and vineyard site? What style of Pinot Noir is appropriate for the marketplace? The way I see it, live and let live. I don’t personally prefer all styles of Pinot Noir, but there are those who do. There is basically a style of Pinot Noir for almost every wine drinker out there—whether it is the entry level wine consumer, an experienced wine aficionado, someone who normally prefers whites, or a consumer that would usually choose Cabernet and thank goodness for that. The vibrancy of our industry depends upon the varied tastes of our customers because nowadays there’s as many different wines out there as there are clouds in the sky or cowboys in a cattle drive. That’s why it’s so easy to get lassoed by Pinot Noir…..[heck, I’m not only lassoed, I’ve been hog-tied and branded, too….yippee aye yea ]
So, getting back to answering the question—“How do I find a Pinot I like?” Here’s some advice: 1. Try a lot of Pinot Noir. Join a tasting group or create one yourself. These groups allow one to try a wide variety of wines without gutting one’s pocketbook. 2. Talk to the folks at the winery; find out what their philosophy and preferences are. If they match yours, then you just might like the wines. 3. Investigate wine critics. There are the usual suspects in print, but there are also many folks online who are reviewing wine offering more variety of opinions. Look at what they like. If they like similar wines to those you enjoy, it might be worth your while to seek out their recommendations. 4. I’ve said this before, but will say it again: trust your palate. It’s not a good wine unless you like it, and that’s all that counts.
The magistrate of Siena, an appointed judicial authority, has questioned the controls exercised by the consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, which governs the stipulations of how the wine is made in both the vineyard? and the cellar?.
Authorities are scanning thousands of documents, including winemaker? notes, harvest and bottling records, Consorzio? registrations and DOCG? stamps.
If the slightest discrepancy is found, even if subject to interpretation and explanation, the existing stocks of the 2003 vintage? Brunello, the year in question, will be sequestered from distribution, the company said in a statement.
Stocks already on store shelves and restaurant cellars will not be affected.
"The situation has quickly become political and threatens the commerce of innumerable small businesses and the pleasure of millions of consumers around the world,? Marc? Goodrich, chief operating officer of Banfi Vintners, a US importer of the wines, said.
?The promise of Brunello to the consumer remains valid and unquestioned, but has been caught in crossfire between warring factions in what amounts to a political disgrace.?
Goodrich claims the majority of Brunello producers are likely to come under scrutiny. This could lead to the sale? of the 2003 vintage suspended, potentially for several months if not longer.
?We will not know what really happened until all the political dust settles and the authorities retreat,? he said. "But in the meantime, they have put at risk the commercial, social and governmental reputation of all Italy.?
A magnificent Malbec! It picked up a trophy at the inaugural Wines of Argentina Awards held in Mendoza in 2007, having wowed the international panel of judges - included among them wine expert Jancis Robinson, who gave it an impressive 17 out of 20. This mulberry and spice-flavoured red wine was made by Herve Fabre, who was originally involved in the Bordeaux wine trade, before he and his wife fell in love with A
Tecnorati
. The food was excellent and so was the service. They offer mainly Serbian dishes, if you’re not sure what to choose from the menu, the waiters will help you with their recommendations, you can trust them. The wine list includes wines from some of the better Serbian cellars, such as Radovanovi? and Aleksandrovi? (Topola). Go for Aleksandrovi?’s red or white Triumph, they are some of the best wines Serbia has to offer. Overall, it’s a great place, I’ll be back.
Recently Tom Wark posted a piece on Fermentation titled 
I attended an event the other night hosted by one of our local public radio stations, 