Harbor Ridge Winery Door County Wisconsin
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Pinot Noir - Fickle, Delicate and Difficult but So Worth It
Get on the Rose` Bandwagon
In recent
years, Rose` wine has swelled in popularity across the nation. Everyone seems to have hopped on the Rose`
Bandwagon. Truly, this is one wagon we want
to get on! Here are some fun facts about the latest wine
craze.
The trendy
pink drink is not all that new. Despite its
current popularity, Rose` was first made by the ancient Greeks in 7000 BC. Rose` is a precursor to both red and white
wine.
While Rose` can
be made using several methods, the simplest explanation is that it is a wine
made with only a portion of the color from its grape skins. Dark red grapes are crushed and left with the
skins and juice to soak together for two to three days. The “must “, (skins and juice), is then
pressed, after which the skins are removed as fermentation continues. The longer the skins remain with the juice,
the darker the color of the final product.
Rosé wines
can be made using any red grape variety including the Marquette Grape grown in
the Harbor Ridge Vineyard. Others are
made with the addition of some white grapes.
This blending introduces all sorts of additional flavors and aromas,
making for an interesting and complex final product.
Rose` wines
range from sweet to very dry and everything in between. The color spectrum includes shades of light
pale pink, bright vibrant pink and every hue of pink in-between. Best served at a white wine temperature (45
degrees), Rose` wines should be consumed within 2-3 years.
Harbor Ridge
Winery has two Rose` offerings. Our semi-dry, Double Gold Medal Bouquet Rosé
introduced in 2016 was aptly named. A
blend of Marchel Foch, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer, it abounds with
floral and fruity aromas just like a lovely bouquet, then ends with a crisp,
but smooth finish.
New in 2019,
our dry sparkling Cracklin’ Rose` is crafted with our 2018 estate grown
Marquette Grapes. Effervescent and vivacious
with flavors of strawberry and melon, HRW’s newest offering will remind you
of warm summer days in Door County.
Now that you
are armed with information about our favorite pink drink, we hope you and your
friends will see the world with Rose` in your glasses.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Introducing two new Premium Wines featuring the Garbellotto Barrel
New
word of the month: Garbellotto
pronounced “GAR BELL LOTTO”. Add an Italian accent and the word
Garbellotto rolls right off your tongue.
So too will
our new premium wines, a Lodi Zinfandel and Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ,
both aged in Old World Garbellotto oak
barrels.
Since
1775, Italian manufacturer, Garbellotto has
been producing oak barrels, casks and vats for
wine, spirits and beer, using only
the highest quality timber
from European forests in France, Slavonia and Germany. After
aging the oak for a several years, Garbellotto Barrels are hand coopered with
generations of expertise and skill. Each
wine barrel undergoes toasting, which helps stabilize the
wine’s tannins and enhance its natural flavors
and aromas.
We’re
especially proud of our new
Zinfandel, not only due to its special barrel
but because its grapes come from Lodi, California. Known
as the unofficial “Zinfandel Capitol
of the World “, this area is
rich with fine
loamy soil and ”old vine " Zinfandel grapevines. In
addition, its mild Mediterranean climate makes for ideal growing conditions,
producing bold,
spicy wines with fruity aromas and silky tannins.
We’re
equally proud of another new introduction, our
Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in Garbellotto barrels,
for 22 months.
With its long summer days and short cool nights, Walla
Walla, Washington is a winemaker’s dream. Although many rivers flow through
this region, Walla Walla has very little rainfall. Grape growers thus
have more control on the amount of water their vines receive. These factors
combined with its mineral rich soil, consistently result in producing lush,
full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
Oh
but there is more….
To
make things just a bit more interesting, we decided to split the production of
Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon and Lodi Zinfandel. Half of this premium wine was aged in the
Garbellotto Barrels and the other half in French- American Hybrid barrels. Taste both and compare the difference a
barrel can make.
We
are thrilled to announce that both varietals aged in the Garbellotto barrels
were recently entered into competition and won medals. Lodi Zinfandel a Gold Medal, Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon a Silver Medal.
We are excited for you to taste our luscious new premium reds, launching this Memorial Day weekend. Stop by and give them a try.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Wine – to chill or to over chill
Now that we’re well into 2018 some of us are still working on
fulfilling our New Year’s resolutions, while others have already abandoned
them. Our resolution is an easy one to
keep. Drink more wine!
So let’s make it count. How
can drinking wine culminate into an even more enjoyable experience? The perfect wine and food pairing is a start
to greater enjoyment, but what about something that can alter your experience
entirely? What about serving temperature?
In researching this topic, we found that many wine experts believe
most people drink their red wine a little too warm and white wine much too
cold. Well, why should it really matter,
and should it make that big of a difference? As it turns out, it does make a whole lot of
difference because the temperature of the wine can influence how it smells and
tastes.
For example, HRW’s dry oak-aged Chardonnay is best appreciated around 55 degrees, where the light
oak taste comes through without dominating the creamy vanilla and spice aromas.
If it was served 10 degrees cooler, none
of those subtle nuances would come through.
At the same time, the lovely apple and pear aromas of our semi-dry
Pinot Grigio, Three Wise Guys, really stand out when it is served
at 45 degrees. The same goes for our
semi-sweet Gimme One Good Riesling. If
it was served any colder its mouthwatering crisp and fruity flavors would
barely register on the tongue. In fact, if you are serving white wine that is already chilled
you should first take it out of the refrigerator, (which is usually set at or
below 40 degrees), for 15 minutes.
As far as reds, a common
misconception is that they must be served at a warm room temperature. It turns
out that red wine aficionados prefer a little chill to their red wine, and suggest
actually chilling red wine in the refrigerator 15 – 20 minutes before uncorking
it.
The lighter reds, (which are often blends, such as Knockin’ Heads Red or Crimes Against Vines), perform best when
they are at the cooler end of the scale in the low 60’s. In fact, Crimes at 60
degrees will taste semi-sweet, but if chilled at 45 degrees it will taste quite
sweet.
To enjoy the rich lushness of Cabernets and Zinfandels,
however, one should serve them at around 62 – 65 degrees. And, if possible, use an aerater, decanter,
or even a wide mouth stemless glass to let these full-bodied reds breathe ahead
of time. This gives them more exposure
to air, which unleashes their aromas and softens tannins, improving their
overall flavor.
We recently introduced Harbor, a port-style wine, similar to a
Ruby Port.
While many of us have always sipped ports and other fortified
wines at a warmer room temperature it turns out that wine experts recommend
that it be served at a cooler 60 degrees.
The Door County Wine Fest is back and better than ever!
NEW location: Martin Park, Sturgeon Bay
Wonderful, easy to navigate NEW layout
Different weekend: June 30, 2018
Join us on June 30, 2018 for the 3rd annual Door County Wine Fest in historic Sturgeon Bay’s Martin Park. Sip and savor wines from each of the DC Wine Trail’s eight
Wineries while sampling complimentary Wisconsin cheeses.
After tasting the “grapeful” bounty, wander over to the wine bar where you can purchase a glass of your favorite wine. Have fun hanging out or shaking a tail feather to live music on the main stage.
Here’s the event schedule:
12:45 pm - Ticket gates and apparel tent open.
12:45 pm - Bar area open with live music.
1:00 pm - Wine tasting tent open.
1:00 pm - Live music begins on main stage.
3:45 pm - Last call wine tasting tent.
4:00 pm - Wine tasting tent closed.
4:45 pm - Wine bar area & apparel tent closed.
Sturgeon Bay has much to offer with its scenic waterfront, fabulous restaurants and
superb shopping. For more information, check out these links:
Tickets On Sale Now!
Or better yet -
Win Two Free Tickets from HRW!
Enter by emailing a photo of you enjoying your favorite
Harbor Ridge Wine
now through February 28, 2018. Please give us your permission to post your picture
on our Harbor Ridge Winery Facebook page.
Get your friends to like and share your photo to increase your chances
of winning. The most shared and liked photos
will be entered into a drawing for the winning tickets. Winners will be announced by March 1, 2018. (you must be at least 21 years old by June 30, 2018 to enter)
Email your photos to: info@harborridgewinery.com Good Luck!
Monday, February 27, 2017
2nd Annual DOOR COUNTY WINEFEST
The first Door
County Wine Fest was such a hit with wine lovers like you that you’ll be glad
to know it has been officially made an annual event. Mark your calendars for
2017 and let’s make it a date!
- Taste wines from all eight Door County wineries
- Music, food and free demonstrations to ticket holders
- Free parking at Harbor Ridge Winery
- FREE Shuttle to Fest
- Purchase your tickets in advance and save $5.00 each.
Tickets
available at doorcountywinefest.com
Don’t miss out on Harbor Ridge Winery's events
BEFORE and AFTER the Door County Wine Fest
Wined Up!
Come join us on
the patio at HRW to get yourselves Wined Up!
- Music and snacks on the patio
- Sangria del Carmen will be flowing….cha cha cha!
- Wine available by the glass or bottle and beer too!
Re-Wined the day after the Wine Fest at Harbor Ridge.
Sunday,
June 25th: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Show us your wrist band and receive 10% off six or more bottles of wine
- Case specials
- Free coffee
Spring Brings Two New Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley
For our Cabernet Sauvignon lovers, you’re in for a treat! Harbor Ridge will be uncorking our long-awaited 2013 Napa Cab in March, the first of our new Ultra-Premium line of wines. Only 201 cases have been produced, 15 of which will be placed in Reserve.
2013
was an excellent year for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in California’s Napa Valley
and once you taste our new Ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ll surely
agree. Aged to perfection for 30 months
in our French Hybrid oak barrels, it delights the senses with subtle spice and
toasted vanilla aromas. Ripe
elderberries and dark stone fruit flavors swirl along with silky tannins,
leading to a smooth and satisfying finish.
Special case price: $352 (a discount of $32!)
Bouquet Rosé
What
better way to usher in Spring! Like a fragrant bouquet of flowers, this new
semi-dry blend of Marechal Foch, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer will tantalize your tastebuds from the first fruity sip to its clean finish. A new favorite, the Crew at Harbor Ridge Winery gives this one two thumbs up!
Price
per bottle: $15
Special case price: $168, (a discount of $12)
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