2017: Favorite Wine-Related Items

What were some of my favorite wine related items of the past year?

Let me continue the lists of my best recommendations and favorites of 2017. I have already posted my Top Ten Wines Under $15, Top Ten Wines Over $15 and Top Wines Over $50 lists. This post will now concentrate on some of my Favorite Wine-Related Items, which are not specific wine recommendations. This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of compelling and memorable matters I have experienced and posted about over the past year.

This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more wine related items, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Analysis Of Top Ten Wines: In my three prior Top Wine lists of 2017, I mentioned a total of 36 wines, which included wines from 13 different countries, three more than last year. Tied at the top were Georgia and Portugal, each with 6 wines (and I'll note Spain was in first place last year). Alsace came in second place with 5 wines and Spain, California and Greece ended up tied in third place, each with 3 wines. Moldova and Israel each hold 2 spots while France, Italy, Chile, South Africa, Germany, and Great Britain each hold 1 spot. As for wine types, the list is also broken down into 5 Sparkling, 9 Whites, 2 Rosé, 18 Reds, 1 Fortified and 1 Dessert Wine. Sixteen of the wines were first tasted at the Boston Wine Expo, where I often find a significant number of intriguing wines.

Favorite Discount Wine Stores: Consumers always want bargains, excellent value wines which won't stretch their wallets. You can buy the cheap, mass-produced commercial wines which can be found in almost any wine store or instead, you can seek out excellent, value wines which put to shame those cheap wines. Certain discount wine stores provide not only excellent prices but also an interesting selection and good service. I want to highlight three such stores which continue to do an especially good job, places where I go to seek bargains: Bin Ends in Braintree & Needham, Wine Connextion in North Andover, and Rapid Liquors in Stoneham. Shop at any of those stores and you won't be disappointed.

Favorite Wine Stores: This is a small list of wine stores which consistently impress me with their selection and service. Each shop is worthy of your patronage and wine lovers should make the effort to visit these places if you have not done so yet.
Lower Falls Wine Company in Newton Lower Falls
Wine-Sense in Andover
Wine Bottega in Boston's North End
Central Bottle Wine & Provisions in Cambridge
Wine Press in Brookline
Streetcar Wines in Jamaica Plain

Favorite Wine Breakfast: As a rather novel wine tasting, representatives of Chapel Down, an English winery, held a tasting of a couple of their Sparkling Wines at a breakfast at Bar Boulud. Smoked Salmon & Eggs atop English muffins with delicious bubbly. In my post, The British Are Coming! Chapel Down Sparkling Wine, I wrote about my experience, impressed with the first two English Sparkling wines I've ever tasted. The English climate is similar to that of the Champagne region during the 1960s-1980s. And their chalky soils are similar as well, so it isn't a stretch to understand why English Sparkling wines have become such a hot item.

Favorite Wine Dinner: A deconstructed Flammekeuche with some killer Alsatian wines, surely a combination for success. At Bistro du Midi, I dined with Jean-Frédéric Hugel, of the famed Alsatian winery Hugel et Fils, discussing Wines Without Make-Up. Alsatian wine pairs so well with various foods and you should always have some in your cellar. Besides the delicious food and wines, there was plenty of interesting conversation, especially concerning the philosophy that wine is made in the vineyard, not the cellar. And two of the wines from this dinner ended up in my Top Wine lists.

Runner-Up Favorite Wine Dinner: This category was a tie, between a Moldovan wine dinner and a Portuguese wine dinner. The Moldovan wine dinner at Moldova Restaurant, in Newton, exposed me to Moldovan cuisine for the first time, accompanied by numerous tasty Moldovan wines, including two which ended up on my Top Wine lists. I strongly recommend you dine here to experience a taste of Moldova. The Portuguese wine dinner at Terra Nostra, in Fall River, was such a fun evening as I was hosted by the good people of LGL Imports, a distributor of Portuguese wines. The food was excellent, including some intriguing Portuguese dishes including Grilled Limpets and Cow's Leg Stew. The wines were compelling as well, which wasn't a surprise, and I would definitely dine here again the next time I was in Fall River.

Favorite Regional Wine Tasting: At the 2017 Boston Expo, the Wines of Georgia had a major presence, with approximately 18 producers showcasing their wines. I ended up tasting about sixty of their wines, a broad swath through their intriguing and delicious offerings. You can read about my experiences in multiple articles, including Boston Wine Expo: Giorgi Samanisvili & Wines of Georgia, Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 1), Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 2), and Boston Wine Expo: Wines of Georgia (Part 3). A number of wines from this tasting also ended up on this year's Top Wine lists. With 8000 years of history, Georgian wine has much to offer, and you can read numerous reasons to taste their wine in another of my articles, Drink More Georgian Wine! 

Favorite Wine Seminar: Also at the 2017 Boston Wine Expo, I attended one of their wine seminars,  Quinta Vale D. Maria, Port & The Douro, which was informative, fun and absolutely delicious. This Portuguese winery has an interesting history and the owner, Cristiano Van Zeller, was an excellent speaker, explaining their history and philosophy. The wines we tasted, especially the comparative ones, were fascinating and we even got to taste a wine from 1870! Two wines from this seminar ended up on my Top Wine lists. As was mentioned at this seminar, "Port is the greatest poetry in wine."

Favorite Large-Scale Tasting: This year, this award goes to the 2017 Boston Wine Expo, a huge consumer wine event. I ended up tasting about 175 wines and spirits, and sixteen of those wines ended up on my Top Wine lists. The Expo has its issues, primarily due to the large crowds that attend, but there are ways to maximize your wine exploration and enjoyment, from attending the Seminars to focusing your tasting on certain regions and/or wine styles. Unfortunately, it seems that there won't be a Boston Wine Expo in 2018.

Most Unique Wine Pairings: What wine would you pair with a showerhead? Or an ornate faucet? I had the opportunity to make such pairings, using only Georgian wines. At a Georgian Wine presentation at Lefroy Brooks in New York City, we tasted the attendees through four Georgian wines, pairing each wine with one of the bathroom creations from Lefroy Brooks. It was an unusual pairing combination but lots of fun. The attendees loved the wines and the company enjoyed the presentation so much that they had us do it again for them in Chicago this past October, which was also another big success.

Favorite Sangria: Quincy has become a fascinating culinary destination and one of the new restaurants is 16C, which is owned by Kerri Lynch-Delaney, who is the niece of famed Chef Barbara Lynch. Sitting at the bar, I opted for their Red Sangria, which is made with blood orange, dragonfruit, and raspberry. The different fruits are what intrigued me, and I was very pleased with the Sangria. It was fruity, with a nice depth of flavor, and with only a mild sweetness. I'm picky about Sangria and this is actually one of the best versions I've tasted in quite some time. I could have easily drank a few of these without feeling like I was in a sugar coma.

Favorite Wine Travel Event: This past June, I attended TasteCamp Maryland, exploring the food and drink or Maryland. TasteCamp is always one of my favorite events as a small group of wine writers get together to explore a wine region, though the event has expanded to include additional alcoholic beverages as well. Maryland was a compelling destination, with delicious and interesting wines and spirits, such as those of McClintock Distilling Co. and Tenth Ward Distilling Company. We were based in Frederick, which has some delicious restaurants, though we traveled a bit to various regions within Maryland. I very much look forward to the next TasteCamp, wherever it might be.

Favorite Wine Rant: My weekly Monday Rants cover a wide range of food and drink-related issues and my favorite one dealing with wine this year was Rant: Become A Wine Activist. It touched on an article written by Peter Weltman, which states "Wine transcends borders and bridges cultures, and it can be used to improve lives if we make the right purchases." Though wine is often seen as a mere luxury, its purchase can possess the power to help people as "Financial support of a country’s wines contributes to the well-being of regions, countries, and producers." I like how this article helps to elevate the status of wine, and how it can benefit people from all over the world. It is definitely an idea we all should embrace when engaged in wine buying.

What were some of your favorite wine-related items this year?

TasteCamp Maryland: Tenth Ward Distilling Company

"There was one mistake Baltimore never made. Baltimore, and the state of Maryland, never endorsed Prohibition. We were known as the wettest state, where beer and liquor was freely available before and after the Volstead Act's repeal in 1933."
--The Baltimore Sun, April 30, 2010

As I recently wrote, I attended TasteCamp 2017 in Maryland and during our weekend visit we sampled a number of local spirits. During our visit to McClintock Distilling Company, we also had the opportunity to taste some spirits from the Tenth Ward Distilling Company, and I found three of their products to be interesting, innovative and delicious.

The Tenth Ward Distilling Company, which opened in July 2016, is located at 508 East Church Street in Frederick, in a part of the city which was once known as the Tenth Ward. The distillery is owned by Monica Pearce and Kyle Pfalzer. Monica and Kyle are committed to environmental sustainability and also try to be as local as possible. For example, all of the grain they use is sourced relatively local, about 33 miles away, from the Ripon Lodge Farm in Rippon, West Virginia. In addition to providing the grains, the farm also malts their barley and rye, as well as smokes their corn.

The distillery's slogan is “Ward off ordinary,” which is a partial play off their name and also indicative of their objective to "push the limits with unconventional distilling and aging techniques while at the same time bringing back some historical and local aspects to our process." And based on the spirits I tasted, I see some of that unconventionality as well as homage to local history. They currently produce three spirits year-round, and a few others seasonally or as limited releases.

The Claude Countee Corn Whiskey ($28), produced year-round, is named after a famous Prohibition-era bootlegger from Frederick. The whiskey is made from a mashbill of 80% corn and 20% malted barley, and comes in at 95 proof. Though their website states this whiskey drinks similar to a peated Scotch or Mezcal, I feel that it is more like a smoky bourbon. You have the sweetness from the corn, enhanced by a prominent, but not overwhelming, smoky aspect. Sweet and smoky, it was quite tasty and smooth, despite the high alcohol content. This could be enjoyed on its own, though it would make for an excellent ingredient in a cocktail, maybe a smoky Manhattan.

The Lindsay Stunkle Rye Whiskey ($36), produced year-round, is also named after a famous Prohibition-era bootlegger from Frederick. This limited-release whiskey is made from a mashbill of 80% malted rye and 20% malted barley, and comes in at a whopping 120 proof. It is released twice a year, in June and November, and is intended for home aging. It is spicy and potent, enhanced by the addition of a little water, and will definitely appeal to rye lovers. There is complexity to its taste and a lengthy finish, and I would love to see this aged in the barrel for a number of years.

The most unique of their spirits was the White Caraway Rye ($36) which is made from a mashbill of 80% malted rye and 20% malted barley, and comes in at 95 proof. The spirit is mashed with caraway seed so it is intended to taste more like rye bread, though it may also remind you of Scandinavian Akvavit. I was captivated by the intriguing flavors of this spirit, as it certainly reminded me of spicy rye bread, with a hint of mint. Though you could drink this on its own, I think it would be best used in creating some fascinating cocktails.

Tenth Ward Distilling is producing some impressive and innovative spirits and there is much potential for the future. If you ever get to Maryland, seek out their spirits.

TasteCamp Maryland: McClintock Distilling Co.

Craft distilling is booming all across the country, and a significant number of these new, small producers are creating some delicious and interesting spirits, from whiskey to rum, gin to brandy. TasteCamp originated as a weekend-long immersion into lesser known wine regions, having visited areas including Long Island, the Finger Lakes, Quebec, Virginia, Niagara and Vermont. Over time, the concept of TasteCamp has evolved, so that not only do we explore wine, but we now also explore local beer, ciders, spirits, and food.

About 30 or so writers and wine industry people recently attended TasteCamp 2017, which was held in Maryland. Once again, we visited wineries, breweries and distilleries, sampling much of what Maryland has to offer, and I found much to enjoy. In downtown Frederick, one of our visits was to the McClintock Distilling Company, which only opened in December 2016. Despite its youth, I was impressed with their concept, objectives, and existing products. This is certainly a distillery with a bright future ahead of it.

In December 2014, the city of Frederick amended their city code and permitted small, craft distilleries to operate in the downtown area. Only a few distilleries have so far opened in Frederick but you'll likely see more in the near future. Tyler Hegamyer and Braeden Bumpers, who both graduated from Elon University, had an interest in producing spirits, and received some education and training in distillation at Cornell University and the American Distilling Institute.

On the site of an old mechanic's garage, they chose to open McClintock Distilling Company, which includes a distillery and tasting room. The distillery was named after McClintock Young, a famous inventor in the 19th century, who had over 100 patented inventions. With a passion for innovation, he also owned one of the first foundries in Frederick. And it is that passion for innovation which has inspired Tyler and Braeden.

The distillery uses only 100% certified organic ingredients and hopes to soon become a certified organic distillery. They currently use about 120 tons of grain annually, acquiring whole kernel grains from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Ontario. Though they would like to use local grains, those grains still need to be organic and Perdue farms purchases most of the grain in Maryland. Their long term goal is to purchase as much local, organic grain as possible.

I was fascinated to learn that McClintock grinds all of their own grains, using a stone burr mill which once was used by an old bakery. They might be one of only two distilleries in the U.S. to use a stone burr mill. Also known as grist mills, they are able to grind grains into a fine flour which doesn't cause the grains to heat up, and also helps the flour maintain the flavor. This makes their distillery more unique, and could lead to a more flavorful end product. It also helps them keep quality control of every aspect of the process.

The milled grains pass directly into the mash tanks, which prevents oxidation. They have three fermenters, and the usual, full fermentation takes two days, using a proprietary distillers yeast. As they are very concerned with sustainability, and wish to be waste neutral, they use a closed loop cooling system, which reuses the water that chills the mash tanks. In addition, after fermentation, the spent grains are sent to local farms as pig food. I'm sure those are very happy pigs.

McClintock's stills, including a pot and column still, were created by Kothe Distilling, a renowned German company, and were made with lots of copper, which benefits distillation. On the left side, you can see their 1000 liter pot-column still.

Their column still has an attached Vapor Basket that allows them to better produce their gin, as they place all of the botanicals in the basket. This helps to better extract the flavors in those botanicals.

They currently have three products for sale, a Vodka, Gin and White Whiskey, and have been aging some of their spirits in 30 gallon barrels. They believe they will age their spirits for about 1-1.5 years before they are released for sale. For example, they have some used Hennessy Cognac barrels in which they are aging some of their gin. I had the chance to taste two barrel-samples, and they definitely show potential. I am very intrigued to see how they taste once the aging is complete.

The Epiphany Vodka ($28) is made from Northern Italian organic white wheat, and was double distilled and triple filtered. It has a relatively smooth and clean taste, with a hint of earthiness. Though you could probably drink this chilled, on its own, it probably would be best in a cocktail.  It was my least favorite of their three products, but it is still a good vodka.

The Forager Gin ($36) is a vapor infused New-World style gin using botanicals inspired by native herbs found in the Appalachian wilderness.

Here is the list of botanicals used to produce this gin. Quite an interesting combination. On the nose, there is a strong juniper aroma with subtle hints of other botanicals in the background. On the palate, the botanical mix is more balanced, and the complex melange of flavors delights the mouth. There are elements of fruit, mainly citrus, and floral flavors, with a sprinkle of spice elements. The gin should be served chilled, and would be delicious on its own, or used in cocktails. I'm not a huge fan of gin, as I find too many overdo it with the juniper flavors, but I really enjoyed the more balanced botanicals in this Forager Gin. Highly recommended.

The Maryland Heritage White Whiskey ($34) is made from a blend of about 80% Rye, with the rest being wheat and corn. It has a high rye content, intended to reflect the historic ryes from pre-prohibition Western Maryland distilleries. In addition, the whiskey was aged for about 24 hours in an oak barrel and is 84 proof. As a big Rye fan, this whiskey appealed to be, presenting with plenty of tasty, spicy notes, with a hint of sweetness from the corn. In general, it was smooth and easy-drinking, with only a touch of heat from the alcohol. This would be a nice choice in a Manhattan of other whiskey-based cocktail. Also highly recommended.

McClintock Distilling is on the right path, with passionate owners, who are trying to be sustainable, organic and produce quality spirits. Their initial products were impressive and I see great potential here, including with their aged spirits. I also feel they would be an excellent model for other craft distillers. If you ever get to Maryland, seek out their spirits. And if you have an interest in craft spirits, you should pay attention to what McClintock Distilling is doing.

Cheers For The Flying Dog "Heat Series" Shishito Rice Ale

I've found a new beer that appeals to me!

As my readers well know, that is a rare occasion, as the bitterness of many beers turns me off. While at TasteCamp 2017 in Maryland, we had an impromptu BYOB at our hotel one evening. Todd Godbout, the writer of Wine Compass, brought a beer which he thought would appeal to my preferences, the "Heat Series" Shishito Rice Ale from the Flying Dog Brewery in Maryland.

The Flying Dog Brewpub was established in Aspen, Colorado in 1990, and in 1994, became a distillery in Denver. In 2006, they purchased a brewery in Maryland, which turned out to be such a success that they decided to close their Denver brewery. They are now the largest brewery in Maryland, producing a wide variety of different beers.

One of their seasonal offerings is their Heat Series, "a radical exploration of brewing with hot chilies, ..." Currently, that series includes four beers, the Cherry Bomb Gose, Chocolate Habanero Stout, Experimental Pepper IPA and the Shishito Rice Ale. I only had the opportunity to taste the Shishito Pale Ale, though I am intrigued by the idea of the Cherry Bomb Gose.

The Shishito Pale Ale is produced with the Speciality Malts of brown rice, carapils, biscuit and acidulated, as well as the Saaz Hops and two Yeasts, Sake and Ardennes. It is also brewed with Shishito peppers, a generally sweet Asian pepper where about one in ten is spicy. This Pale Ale has a 5.3% ABV and 20 IBU.

I found this beer to be light, crisp and refreshing, lacking bitterness and with just a whisper of spicy heat, mainly on the finish. There are some subtle malty undertones and a couple hints reminding me of a Sake. It would be an excellent beverage on a hot, summer day. If you dislike most beers, especially due to their bitter nature, I strongly recommend you give the Shishito Pale Ale a try and I think you will find that you enjoy it.

Much appreciation to Todd for introducing me to this tasty beer.

A Glimpse Into The Culinary Treasures of Frederick, Maryland

We flew down to Maryland the day before TasteCamp 2017 was scheduled to begin, so we had some free time to explore the city of Frederick. The downtown area is filled with a myriad of shops and restaurants, as well as some interesting architecture and museums, such as the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. There are parts of Frederick with many chain shops and restaurants but the downtown is more unique, small businesses.

For breakfast, we ate at Cafe Nola, kind of a hip cafe with an outside patio. It is well known for its breakfast offerings, some with a southern flair. The breakfast entrees generally range from $10-$18, including items such as French Toast, Croissant Sandwich, and Corned Beef Hash. They have a fully stocked bar so you can enjoy a cocktail such as a Bloody Mary Heat ($8), which is made with a house-infused habanero garlic vodka.

I opted for the Shrimp & Grits ($15), which is made with cheddar grits, Andouille sausage and bacon. The grits were creamy and cheesy and there plenty of plump shrimp, spicy sausage and crisp bacon pieces. A hearty dish, excellent comfort food.

We also ordered the Chesapeake Benedict ($18) which consists of jumbo lump crab cakes, atop English muffin and topped by poached eggs and an Old Bay hollandaise sauce, with a side of roasted potatoes. The crab cakes were very good, filled with plenty of sweet crab and not lots of filler. The hollandaise was interesting with the Old Bay, complementing the crab cakes. The potatoes were also nicely crisp. Again, another good breakfast choice.

My only issue with the restaurant was that the service was a bit lackluster, especially after we received our food. Our server didn't return until we were nearly down with our meal, failing to refill our beverages. The restaurant wasn't significantly busy and there didn't appear to be any reason for the lack of proper service. It could be outside the norm. The food though is definitely very good and I would recommend you check it out if you are ever in Frederick.

For dinner, after considering a number of potential choices, we opted for Spanish cuisine at Isabella's Taverna & Tapas Bar. It is a casual spot with a large bar (and has a Happy Hour tapas buffet for those at the bar). They have a full bar though the wine list wasn't too compelling to me, as they had only a small amount of Spanish wines, as well as plenty of other wines from numerous wine regions across the world. Though small, there were some good choices in Spanish wines but in the end, we opted for red Sangria, which was fruity and tasty, though not overly sweet.

The food menu was more interesting, and accompanied by a page of daily specials, with some traditional Spanish dishes as well as some of their own takes on tapas. On the menu, you'll find Soups & Salads (like Gazpacho), Cheeses (like Queso de Cabrales), Seafood (from Fried Calamari to Pan-Steamed Black Mussels), Meats (from Iberico de Bellota to House-Made Chorizo), Vegetables (from Papas Bravas to Brussel Sprouts), six different types of Paella, and a few Entrees (like Grilled Sirloin). Prices are reasonable, with a number of dishes costing $10 and less.

The Queso Frito con Alemendras y Salsa Vinagreta ($6.75) consists of three balls of fried house-breaded goat cheese & almond fritters with a tangy shallot vinaigrette. The crispy coating led to a creamy goat cheese center, accented by crunchy pieces of almond, with a bright acidity from the vinaigrette. Quite tasty and a pleasant way to start our dinner.

The Manchego Frito ($12) was made of a slice of baguette, topped by plenty of fried Manchego cheese, fig jam, and pear. The melted Manchego was delicious, with a mild tang and nuttiness, and was enhanced by the sweet fruit of the fig and pear. Another very good choice.

The special Paella del Dia (Tapas portion/$26) was made with cured Iberico ham, scallops, shrimp, peas, and pimento. The scallops had a crisp sear and were moist and tender, while the plump shrimp had more texture to them and the Iberico was slightly spicy. The rice was cooked nicely and I was impressed with this version of Paella, and I would have liked to order one of the entree sizes as well.

The Gambas al Pil Pil ($8.25) is a dish of hot sizzling shrimp in a spicy garlic oil with caramelized onions. Usually, I don't see onions in this dish, but they added a bit of sweetness to the spicy oil.  It was nice to dip our bread into the dish and sop up the oil.

The Datiles Rellenos ($9) were crispy bacon wrapped Spanish dates stuffed with chorizo and sitting atop a mild goat cheese cream. Salty and slightly sweet, with creaminess from the goat cheese, this was a more decadent dish. A nice blend of flavors and textures and I strongly recommended this dish.

Our final dish of the evening were the Langostinos del Golfo Asados con Arroz Negro ($9), cilantro roasted Gulf shrimp on black rice & a saffron butter sauce. The shrimp was tasty again, and the black rice was earthy, with a briny note. And the saffron butter sauce added a hedonistic touch to the plate.

Service was excellent and I was very pleased with all of the dishes we ate. There was plenty of other items on the menu I would have liked to try too. I just wish the wine list was larger, with more Spanish options. Overall, Isabella's earns my recommendation.

Rant: TasteCamp, Summer Travel & Local Beverages

As you start to plan your summer travel, deciding which places to visit, please give strong consideration to visiting local wineries, distilleries, breweries, cideries and meaderies. Frankly, many people don't realize the number of these alcohol producers even in their own state. For example, as of 2015 in Massachusetts, there were approximately 55 licensed-farm wineries, 15 hard-cider producers, over 60 breweries, and about 20 distilleries.

Did you realize Massachusetts has that many producers? How many of those producers have you visited? How many of those producers have you tasted their products?

There are now wineries in all fifty states, and the vast majority also have numerous distilleries, breweries, cideries and meaderies. It is a great time for those who enjoy alcoholic beverages, so much new to explore and taste. No matter where you travel, you'll find some interesting producers you can visit, sampling their drinks. On your vacation, spend time visiting historical sites, enjoying the landscape, and dining out. However, leave yourself a little time to explore these exciting, local produced beverages.

I know that some people worry that these producers, especially the wineries, might not be very good, that they make inferior beverages. However, I think that if you explore deeper, if you sample from a number of these producers, you might be very surprised at the quality you can find. And every year, producers all across the country up their game, creating even better beverages than prior years. Don't prejudge these producers but approach them with an open mind, and let your palate judge the quality of their drinks.

Yesterday, I returned from a weekend visit to Maryland where I, and about 30 others, attended TasteCamp 2017. The concept of TasteCamp was created by Lenn Thompson, of the The Cork Report, back in 2009, and it consists of a weekend immersion into a lesser known wine region, outside of the big wine states like California, Washington and Oregon. We have previously visited places including Long Island, the Finger Lakes, Quebec, Virginia, Niagara and Vermont. Attendees come from both the U.S. and Canada, and though many of the attendees are from the East Coast, some attendees come from as far as California.

At TasteCamp, attendees visit a variety of producers, tour vineyards, taste dozens of wines, dine on local foods and holds an exciting BYOB dinner. The basic concept has evolved over time so that it is no longer limited to wine, now also including beers, ciders, meads and spirits. A key principle for TasteCamp is "drink local," consuming products that are locally produced, usually from local ingredients. There is little reason to limit ourselves to wine when local producers are making so many other interesting and tasty beverages too. This is a great example of what I meant when I wrote my prior Rant: Drink Writers, Burst Your Bubble.

Though TasteCamp usually has a few, limited sponsors, the attendees shoulder the lion's share of expenses for the trip, including their transportation, lodging and some meals. This year, we owe a debt of gratitude to Maryland Wine, Maryland Distillers Guild and Brewers Association of Maryland. With its limited size, TasteCamp is a more intimate event, allowing you to get to know everyone in the group, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones too. The focus of the event is on tasting, both food and drink, and there aren't any seminars or events about writing, blogging, photography, or similar activities.

I previously attended a wine conference in Maryland back in 2013, learning that Maryland wines had an image problem, including among many of its residents. I found that numerous people still didn't fully understand the quality of wines that Maryland produced. Some felt that Maryland made only sweet wines. However, I tasted a number of excellent wines, seeing the potential in Maryland and it was great to learn more about the various wineries which were seeking to produce quality wine. And this past weekend, I found that the Maryland wine industry has improved in the last four years and is providing even more fascinating and delicious wines, as well as other excellent alcoholic beverages.

Some of the highlights of TasteCamp included: Wines from Old Westminster Winery, Black Ankle Vineyards, and Big Cork Vineyards; Spirits from McClintock Distilling Company and Tenth Ward Distilling Company; and Mead from Orchid Cellar Meadery. And I know I still missed tasting excellent products from some other Maryland producers. During the next few weeks, I'll be writing about my experiences, highlighting some of the best I encountered. Maryland is certainly a compelling destination for those who want to explore delicious and interesting wines, spirits, beers, and more.

TasteCamp helps to illustrate the belief that liquid wonders can be found in many local regions all across the country. In all of the regions we have explored, we have found plenty of interest and each spot would make for a compelling vacation destination. Throw away your preconceptions about the wine and drink industries in various states and be adventurous, gaining first-hand experience of what these local producers are creating. You might not like everything you find, but I'm sure you will be surprised at the quality and diversity you find, and will also locate some treasures which will delight your palate.

Be adventurous. Expand your palate and sample something new. Explore local drink producers.