Wilson Creek Blog
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Tannin :  A polyphenolic compound derived from a grape’s skins, seeds and stems. A tannin is what gives young red wine that astringent-like quality, most often described as bitter. Tannins contribute to the longevity of the wine and often soften and improve as the wine ages. Salut!

Bouquet :  The odors in wines from fermentation, processing, and aging, especially ones that may develop after bottling.

Here’s a fun little dessert recipe from the Creekside Grille at Wilson Creek Winery.

Mascarpone Cheesecake Torte with Walnut Crust, Poached Quince & Pomegranate Seeds

This dessert is great for the holidays and can turn any occasion into a special one! Makes 11 individual desserts.

I recently returned from my vacation, which was a wine pilgrimage of sorts. We first visited a most unique and beautiful wine-growing region located on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. The wines were unique in many respects. Most spectacular were many of the vineyards that clung to impossibly steep limestone slopes that started several hundred feet up at the top and nearly reached the Adriatic Sea at the bottom. This is the home of the Plavac Mali Cached – SimilarYou +1’d this publicly. Undo

Grape, which is genetically identical to our California Zinfandel. The vines are not irrigated and depend on what moisture their roots can find deep in the limestone soils. The concentration of these red wines is incredible. Some are so dense that they must be blended with wines produced from vineyards located in less stressful conditions to make an approachable wine. A delightful fragrant white wine made from the Posip grape comes almost exclusively from island of Kortula. The grapes are grown on the island and shipped by boat to wineries on the mainland. Through the hospitality of our hosts, Andro Crvik and his family (Crvik Winery), we were able to visit many of the wineries in the area.

The next part of our European wine adventure was is the Rhine region of Germany. This time we were taken in and hosted by Heribert and Sybille Erbes. Their winery in the village of Spiesheim (Weingut Erbes, Rheinhessen) has been in the family since the 1600’s. I learned a great deal about German wines from Heribert. Like in Croatia the perhaps most important element in making top quality German wines results from the meticulous care of the grapes. In our travels we were treated like family by our winemaker hosts and established relationships that will last a lifetime. The most important lesson I learned as a winemaker is that no matter where you make wine, producing the best grapes is the key to making the best wines.

Etienne Cowper (lft), of the U.S., and Heribert Erbes (rt), of Germany, meet for the first time, face to face, after years, 37 to be exact, of corresponding back and forth about wine and life. Here is an article (in German) about the two winemakers: http://www.allgemeine-zeitung.de/region/alzey/vg-woerrstadt/spiesheim/12237466.htm 

In the wine world we like to think that every month is wine month, but more specifically, September is recognized as California Wine Month. What does this mean you ask? It’s your free pass to drink more wine this month, from California that is!

Here at Wilson Creek Winery, we are honoring this wonderful month by serving  a glass of  delightful sparkling wine with every entree purchase at the Creekside Grille. (Don’t see this advertised anywhere, that’s ok, just mention this to your server and they’ll know what to do) Cheers!

Check out this fun article from the North County Times about California wines, wineries and Temecula…

WINE COUNTRY NOTES: It’s the most wonderful time of the year.