Champlain Orchards Cidery: Heirloom Semi-Dry

It seems appropriate that the first drink I review in 2016 is from Vermont. This Spring, I'll be spending a weekend exploring the wines, ciders, beers, Sake and spirits of Vermont, gaining a better understand of the current status of their drinks industry. Previously, I've tasted numerous wines, ciders and spirits from Vermont, and you can search my blog for my prior reviews. Yet like every other state, Vermont constantly evolves, with new wineries, distilleries and breweries opening, as well as existing ones improving and expanding. There is even a new Sake brewery in Vermont, the Mercy Brewing Company.

The Champlain Orchards Cidery extends back to 1998, when Bill Suhr bought 60 acres of orchard in Shoreham., Over the years, the estate has grown to over 220 acres of fruit trees, including over 70 varieties of apples,  plums, peaches, nectarines, European and Asian Pears, raspberries, cherries, and blueberries. Sustainability is very important and 100% of their fruit crop is Eco Apple certified through Red Tomato. It is an ongoing process, where they continue to make their orchards as environmentally conscientious as possible.

With their apples, they create a variety of products including Cider Donuts, Apple Pie, Apple Sauce, Apple Butter, Cider Syrup, Sweet Cider, Ice Cider and Hard Cider. As for Hard Ciders, they produce about six different varieties, including Original Vermont Hard Cider, Semi-Dry Hard Cider, Apple Cranberry Hard Cider, Honeycrisp Hard Cider, McIntosh & Maple Hard Cider, and Ginger & Spice Hard Cider. The Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet currently sells the Semi-Dry and Apple Cranberry Hard Ciders and that is where I purchased the Semi-Dry.

The Semi-Dry ($13.70/750ml) is made from a blend of 31 apple varieties, including sweet, sharp and bitter types such as Wickson, Foxwhelp and Cox's Orange Pippin. It also has an alcohol content of 5.8%. It has an aroma of fresh apples with some mild floral notes, a pleasant smell that will entice you to pour yourself a glass. When you taste it, you'll find a mild effervescence, not the heavy carbonation of a soda. It presents mainly as crisp and dry with only a hint of sweetness, especially on the finish. There is a strong taste of apple with tart accents and almost a touch of orange. It is  refreshing rather than cloying like some commercial hard ciders, and I believe it would pair well with food too, from roast chicken to pork.

With their eco-conscious philosophy and this tasty cider, I'm hoping that on my Spring trip to Vermont, I get the opportunity to learn more about this cidery and taste more of their products (including their cider donuts).

Some Wine Makers Love Climate Change

Is climate change actually good for wine vineyards? Some winemakers seem to think so, as it has helped them achieve consecutive years of excellent vintages. So they have little incentive to make any changes that would either adapt to climate change, or take measures to decrease their carbon footprint.

Are these winemakers correct, should we not care about climate change? Or are they blind to the true dangers ahead, and if so, how do you convince them otherwise?

In the current issue of Mother Jones magazine (August 2010), there is an interesting article,"Grapes of Wrath," by Mark Hertsgaard. It concerns the effect of climate change on vineyards and wine making, and is adapted from his forthcoming book, Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth.

Mark mentions how some winemakers are joyous about climate change. "Some of the most expensive wines in Spain come from the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa regions," Pancho Campo, the founder and president of the Wine Academy of Spain, says. "They are getting almost perfect ripeness every year now for Tempranillo. This makes the winemakers say, 'Who cares about climate change? We are getting perfect vintages.' The same thing has happened in Bordeaux. It is very difficult to tell someone, 'This is only going to be the case for another few years.'" (p.38)

How do you argue with these winemakers? How can you convince them that these prime vintages won't last? It may be a very difficult task.

Mark continues with a dire prediction for vineyards in the U.S., though obviously the potential threat is worldwide. "If current trends continue, the "premium wine grape production area [in the United States]...could decline by up to 81 percent by the late 21st century," a team of scientists wrote in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. The culprit was not so much the rise in average temperatures but an increased frequency of extremely hot days, defined as above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). If no adaptation measures were taken, these increased heat spikes would "eliminate wine grape production in many areas of the United States," the scientists wrote." (p.38)

Is this how most people react, unconcerned unless something directly affects them? And if it benefits them, are they are less likely to be concerned? When they finally act, will it be too late?

Boston GreenFest 2009

The Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. today announced that the second annual edition of Boston GreenFest 2009 will take place on Boston City Hall Plaza, Thursday, August 20, Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22.

Boston GreenFest 2009 will bring together community groups, corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and citizens to share new technologies and ideas that can immediately change our daily lives and help bring about a more sustainable future.

Boston GreenFest 2009, the Foundation for a Green Future, Inc., and local volunteers will seek to connect with a broad audience from across all Boston neighborhoods to bring an inspiring message of action and change. Together we will work toward sustainability through art, music, fashion, discussions and interactive exhibits. By engaging participants, young and old, we will search for new ideas to reduce our impact on our planet.

Festival-goers will learn what it means to eat and grow local organic food, improve nutrition and health care, make better decisions about what we wear and the products we use for our personal care, green our city, build healthy communities, take action politically and personally, create green jobs and engage in a sustainable, green economy.

WHEN: Entertainment and programming hours will be Thursday, Aug. 20, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and 22, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Exhibitor hours: Friday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

ADMISSION: All events are free and open to the public.

Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. is a local nonprofit organization committed to educating the public and increasing awareness about green roofs, living walls, plants and trees as a means to improving air quality and abating global warming along with a host of other ways to create a greener path to a sustainable future in the City of Boston and elsewhere. It is the intention of this Foundation to help improve the quality of life by contributing to a healthier environment through education and specific actions.

“Boston GreenFest 2009 is a celebration of our environmental progress and a call to action for communities, citizens and corporations committed to an even brighter future,” said Karen Weber, Coordinator of Boston GreenFest 2009. “We can no longer wait for someone to tell us what to do to improve our world. We need to find the solutions ourselves. The answers are within reach and we applaud the many groups in and around Boston already making positive change worthy of celebration and recognition.”

Jim Hunt, Chief Advisor to the Mayor on Environment and Energy, writes: “Mayor Menino and the City of Boston are excited to welcome GreenFest back to City Hall Plaza. This year’s program looks to encourage and support local community development, promote health and wellness strategies, educate the public on energy conservation and alternative transportation, and update the public on sustainability initiatives that are being pursued city, state, and nationwide. The festival looks to combine educational programming with art projects and interactive components for area residents. It offers something for everyone interested in sustainability issues. The city is proud to serve as host for this event and we hope residents will take advantage of the myriad workshops, exhibits and demonstrations to learn what steps they can take to “go green”. Please join the Mayor and me at Boston GreenFest 2009. It will be a great festival and we look forward to your participation.”

Among the activities currently scheduled to take place at City Hall Plaza for Boston GreenFest 2009 are:

- 3 Stages of Multicultural Entertainment: More than 40 acts reflect Boston’s diverse cultural offerings — from West African rock, healer, dance, martial arts and puppetry to indie rock, soul and folk. We will attempt to power one stage with solar energy and another stage by pedal power! Some of the performers are: The Neighborhoods, Mamadou, The Lights Out, Boston Community Choir (annually perform gospel with the Boston Pops), Corin Ashley, Midatlantic, Am Stereo, INCUS, The Motion Sick, The Delta Generators, Michael & Marissa, Mike Verge, tem Blessed, Mighty Mystic and the Strings of Thunder, Inkas Wasi, Buck T. Edwards, Oneal Armstrong, Chocolate Fountain, Keith James and Potentials Unlimited, Yang's Martial Arts Academy, Nathan Hale School Choir, and Tibetan musicologist Gandiva Lorcan.

- Green Fashion Tent including the EcoRunway: A creative series of fashion shows featuring adults and youth who will model clothes/accessories they made from eco-conscious materials. Designers range in age from 10 yrs and up. Boston designer Sam Mendoza, Sparklle Thames, Rhonda Fazio, Franchesca Salamanca, and the Stylistas are a few of the EcoRunway leaders.

- GreenFilmFest: Free film showings throughout the festival for children and adults, portraying themes of sustainability, nature and hope, including Greening of Southie, FRESH, and Out of Balance.

- Kid Friendly Area: Jam-packed section devoted to kids including two full days of family friendly entertainment with appearances by Ruff Ruffman from WGBH’s “Fetch!,” Phineas the Dog puppetry, Sidewalk Sam, magician Darren Yong, The Yo-Yo Show, Loco Kids, storyteller Big Joe, facepainting, eco-friendly Creative Balloons, inflatables, yoga with Sadhana Studio, and ponies to pet from the Blue Hills Riding Center!

- The One Gallon Challenge: On Wednesday, August 19, an unusual group of very high efficiency cars will convene in Greenfield, MA. These “next gen” cars are unlike what the public has seen before. On Thursday, August 20, they will attempt to travel 100 miles on the energy of a single gallon of gasoline to Boston GreenFest on Boston City Hall Plaza. They will be on exhibit throughout the festival.

- EcoGallery:

- National Geographic “Irreplaceable: Wildlife in a Warming World” Exhibit: A traveling photo exhibit by the International League of Conservation Photographers, in partnership with the nonprofit Earthjustice, that reveals the effects of climate change on endangered species.

- Eco-Photo Contest: Contest for the Boston Public Schools to acknowledge the 3 schools that most succeeded in bringing awareness about the environment into their school and curriculum. Winners will be awarded $250 in gift certificates by Jamaicaway Books on Saturday, August 22 at 2 pm. Entries will be on display.

- Product giveaways and samples: Cabot Cheese, Kashi, SOYJOY, Luna, Clif Bar, and more!
- Time Tunnel: A 50’ x 10’ walk through time in which one sees the world in its beauty and bounty; then in its degradation and loss of resources; and finally a future in which everyone working together can return the world to a sustainable path. Public artist & Architect: Franziska Amacher.

- Wheel Answers: the answers you’ve been looking for may be on this special wheel set up by Johnny Monsarrat.

- Green Town Meeting: An event at the State House Grand Staircase on Thurs. Aug 13th, 10 am – 2 pm, to which everyone, including our political leaders, academic leaders, faith leaders, youth leaders, nonprofits and more are invited to discuss and sign the GreenFest Manifest — a commitment to others and ourselves.

- Green Business Breakfast: The downtown business community will join in an engaging networking session and pertinent discussion on Thurs. Aug 20th, 8-9:30 am, Boston City Hall, Curley Room (by invitation, not open to the public).

- Green Jobs: Discussion and showcase of Boston’s green job market.

- Cooking Demos: Learn how to cook with fresh vegetables from your organic garden!

- Workshops, Speakers and Presentations: Covering wide array of fascinating topics including energy efficiency, health, nutrition, beauty, gardening, textiles, greening our cities, and much more.

- Health, Fitness and Spiritual Classes and Workshops: Yoga classes by Sadhana Studio, Kung-Fu demos by Yang’s Martial Arts, walking tours with walkBoston, and more.

- GreenBus: powered by veggie oil, the Green Bus will come down from Dartmouth College to educate festival-goers about green initiatives.

- Call2Recycle: educational mobile trailer teaching about recycling rechargeable batteries and cellphones through interactive computer games.

- Traditional Drum Circle: 200 drummers will circle City Hall in the morning and evening – it will be an unforgettable experience.

- Valet Bike Parking set up by Urban Adventours.

- Walking Tours: A Taste of Boston! Join walkBoston for quick 20 minute tours to get to know Boston by foot.

- Healthy Delicious Food from locally-minded eateries including Bolocco, Grasshopper, and Equal Exchange Café.

- More than 200 exhibitors featuring eco-conscious vendors, green technology, urban farming, small business displays, a farmers’ market and environmentally conscious artisans featuring unique items for sale.

Wine in a Bag: Box or Barrel?

Which appeals to you more? Finding a small wine barrel at the bar or a box of wine? Many people would probably prefer the barrel. Yet the difference between the barrel and the box is mere appearances. It may alter your perception of the wine, though the wine itself may not be any different.

DeLoach Vineyards has created "Barrel to Barrel," an interesting twist on wine-by-the-glass. They now sell barrels that hold ten liters of wine, currently their 2008 Pinot Noir. Though only 50 of these barrels were produced. A restaurant or other establishment can place the barrel atop their bar, to use to pour glasses of wine. It should appeal to consumers, making them feel like they are having a cellar experience, drinking wine straight from the barrel.

But looks can be deceiving. The wine is actually being held inside the barrel by a special "Eco Bag," which will minimize oxidation and keep the wine fresher for longer. The barrel can even be refilled by just inserting another bag of wine. This is the concept behind wine in a box, just made to look much nicer. This is environmentally friendly in a number of ways.

Vox Populi, an American bistro and martini bar in the Back Bay, bought two of these barrels and feature the Pinot Noir by the glass at $9.

Vox Populi Proprietor, Joseph Quattrocchi, said about the DeLoach partnership: “At Vox, we’re about bringing all kinds of experiences straight to the people. With DeLoach, we hope to transport the vineyard tasting experience straight to Boston in the form their cellar-to-glass model.”

I think the barrel will be far more popular than boxed wines, as it gives the illusion of a wine cellar experience. Kudos for the wine being more ecofriendly.

360 Vodka: A Very EcoFriendly Alcohol

Many people are concerned about the environment and seeking "green" products. Climate change is a hot topic and many are trying ways to reduce their carbon footprint. My friends over at Catavino recently attended a Climate Change and Wine Conference and their posts sparked some interesting discussion on these topics.

There is plenty of talk about "green" wines, of organic and biodynamic wines. But you see much less about other green practices used by wine makers. So what is the greenest wine, or other alcohol? And how do you judge what is greenest? Though that might be hard to determine, I think I have found a potential contender for the top spot. And it is not even a wine.

This contender is 360 Vodka and it is made in the U.S. I feel it is a top contender because its ecofriendly practices seem the most extensive that I have ever seen for any such product. Their green practices extend to all aspects of their business, from production to marketing and sales.

McCormick Distilling Co. Inc., located in Weston, Missouric, has been around since 1856 and is the oldest continuously operated distillery in the U.S. It recently created a new division, Earth Friendly Distilling Company, to produce their new product, 360 Vodka. This division is dedicated to a philosophy of eco-awareness and corporate responsibility.

They use 100% locally grown grains from northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri, which helps reduce emissions from transportation. The vodka is quadrupled distilled and five times filtered in an energy efficient way so that none of the grain goes to waste. Their production facility captures the carbon dioxide produced by distillation and they use 200% less energy than the common pot still method. They offset 100% of their electricty through Renewable Energy Credits.

Their ecofriendly ways extend to the packaging. Their bottles are made from 85% recycled glass to their labels and paper are made from chlorine free, recycled paper. Even the peanuts used in their packaging are 100% biodegradeable and dissolve in water. If you return the bottle closure (and they give you a handy envelope to do so), they donate $1 to environmental organizations.
They have even begun using hybrid and biodiesel trucks to transport their products in three states.

I should note that the carbon footprint from the transportation of wine and other alcohols can be high. For more information, check out Dr. Vino's research findings in that area. Thus, enacting ways to reduce the transportation carbon footprint are very important.

You can read much more about their "green" ways on their website. There are many more things that they do than the few I mentioned. The entire matter certainly impressed me and I think it helps create a high standard for other companies seeking to make a greener product.

But then comes an important test. How does 360 Vodka taste? How does it compare to other premium vodkas on the market?

This raises some additional questions and issues.

1) Would you buy this vodka because it is so ecofriendly, even if you felt the quality of the vodka was not as good as a less eco-friendly bottle, the price being equal?

2) Would you buy this ecofriendly vodka if it tasted the same as other premium vodkas, but was more expensive? If so, how much more money would you be willing to pay?

3) How much does the fact the vodka is ecofriendly factor into you purchasing decision?

Well, I did taste this vodka. I kept it in my freezer for a time so that it would be properly cold for me. I prefer my premium vodka ice-cold, either straight up or on the rocks. I won't mix a premium vodka with anything. I would rather use a lesser quality vodka if I am mixing. And how did I feel about the 360 Vodka?

I was very impressed with its taste. It is very clean and smooth with absolutely no bite or bad aftertaste. It definitely has its own unique flavor, making it a different taste than some other premium vodkas. Though its flavors are mild and elusive, hard to definitively identify. It makes for an excellent vodka and something I would definitely drink. And I am very picky with my vodka.

The 360 Vodka retails for about $25-30, which makes it comparable to most other premium vodkas. Taste wise, it is at the very least, the equal of other premium vodkas. And better than some, such as Grey Goose. So, the fact that it is a very ecofriendly company does seem to tip the scales in its favor, everything else being roughly equal. So, I would definitely recommend 360 Vodka. I have seen it in a number of local liquor stores so it should be easy to find.