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Welcome
to Russel's Ramblings™! This is the fourth installment of my
addition to the website, which focuses on the various aspects of the
joy of the table- WINE! In this issue, I discuss the joy of finding
wine and winery gems among the innumerable options. And I share my
thoughts about one of our favorite wineries, Va La Vineyards in
Avondale, PA. Read on and click
here to send me your comments and questions.
One
of the things I like about wine is actually being able to find a gem
among the plethora of choices. I remember finding a Malbec over the
summer just because the label looked nice. It was from Chile and it
was one of the best reds I had ever drunk. I think Tonya might have
it listed on our cellar tracker if anyone is interested.
One
of the other things I like is actually visiting the wineries. Since
there are so many wineries not far from your home, it is easy for
anyone to visit the wineries in their area. We in Philadelphia are
lucky to have a large number of wineries within two hours of the
city. There are those in southeastern Pennsylvania called the
Brandywine Wine Trail, Bucks County along the Bucks County Wine
Trail, the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail around Allentown (great song by
Billy Joel!), near Reading, which is the Berks County Wine Trail and
several in New Jersey (our favorite is Unionville Vineyards near
Flemington, NJ).
One
of the best in Pennsylvania is Va La Vineyards in Avondale, PA,
owned by Anthony and Karen Vietri (see
our feature of Va La). They make wines in an Italian
style. The winery is located on an old family farm that has been in
the family for around one hundred years. Not only is their website
one of the most fun and informative winery or vineyard sites, the
winery is one of the most friendly, open, warm and fun places to
visit, especially on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The winemaker,
Anthony, thoroughly enjoys what he does and he does it well. They
really enjoy the entire wine experience and the entire family helps
out. You can enjoy Friday afternoons with Anthony's father-in-law,
Jim. In reviewing their website recently, I learned Va La is now open
on Thursday also.
Va
La is known as a "micro winery" because it makes wines in
small batches at their home vineyard. Avondale is mushroom country,
as this area is the mushroom capital of the world. One of the best
quotes from the website is "you people crazy!" Most people
did not believe that great wine, let alone good wine, could come out
of the area. Va La is great wine by any old or new world standard.
From the reds to the whites, the wines are top notch and often - read
always - sell out within only a few months of release. Anthony will
not release a wine that is not up to his standards. He makes wines in
small batches so the final product will always be the best that the
fruit can produce. One of the things I really enjoy is that he does
not make 27 different wines, as some wineries are apt to do. He keeps
it simple and grows what is best for the land. Sometimes other
wineries will make a lot of wines but none of them are any good (even
though that kind of winery is a fun visit!).
Va
La is an experience. Not only do you get a great taste of the wine
on each pour, all wines are matched with local food. There is bread
and olive oil, mushrooms (Avondale is the mushroom Capital of the
World), chocolate, cheese and various other dips. You can view
artwork and listen to live music in the gallery upstairs. There are
various cheeses, condiments and other wine accessories available.
This is the way it should be and Tonya and I always look for places
like this. All the employees enjoy the wine, recommend their
favorites and help make this a place the kind that always makes you
feel like a friend that is always welcome.
It
is hard to pick a favorite wine from Va La. Tonya and I recently
drank a bottle of the 2005 Zafferano (now sold out). It is a blend of
Pinot Grigio and Viognier. It has a great earthy flavor with melon
and pear. This is a refreshing wine that can be drunk throughout the
year. They also produce another white, La Prima Donna. This is a
blend of four whites that has a floral bouquet with citrus notes and
is dry, and crisp with a mineral finish.
The
reds are also awesome. One day I stopped by for some Zafferano and
came back with a number of bottles of Chiaretto (Bordeaux-style
blend) and Il Rustico (made from 100% Carmine). These reds make you
think of some great wines from Italy. The wines are dry and very
flavorable. Il Rustico is dark and plumlike in color and flavor. It
is also smoky with good hints of the oak aging. The Chiaretto is a
blend that is reminiscent of the Tuscan propietary blends. Both wines
are made in small batches and sell out quickly. Just talking about it
makes me want to stop by this weekend!
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Regardless when you read this issue, the last comment will
be true. So don't be surprised if you find us at Va La on any given
weekend. Russel often goes out for milk and comes home with wine from
Va La! Read on because he fesses up below.
I
do not know if they will ship to your location because I have always
purchased at the winery. I have even made special stops on the way
home from the office, from vacation, and following sporting events
(the benefits and curses of following Temple Football!). Stop by
anytime you are in the area and let Anthony know that Tonya and Russ
from joyofthetable.com sent you!
Cheers!
Russel
