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Archives for January 2018
“Catoctin Breeze Vineyard: Honest, Earnest Wines from Maryland” – The Cork Report
Written by Aaron Menenberg for The Cork Report
“Catoctin Breeze Vineyard isn’t your typical winery. One of the first things you notice is that there are no stainless tanks in the winery. Zero stainless tanks. They started with plastic puncheons, and it worked for them. It still works for them. So, no stainless tanks, at least not now. Maybe later. Maybe.
For their first vintage, they used all new American oak on their reds, and they liked the result. So, every vintage since then, they’ve used new American oak. They’ve tried a few French and hybrid barrels, but they like the American ones. And since they liked the effect of new barrels the first few years, they plan to stick with an emphasis on new wood. Maybe they’ll wind down the percentage of new oak in the future. Maybe later. Maybe…” Click here to continue reading on The Cork Report website!
Catoctin Breeze Vineyards bottles the American dream
For Voytek and Alicja Fizyta, winning best of category with their 2015 Syrah at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition was another step forward in their American dream.
Both left Poland as political refugees in 1981, fleeing Communist influences from the neighboring Soviet Union. They arrived in Detroit with $800, two suitcases and two children.
Voytek soon got a job as an engineer at Chrysler, and Alicja — who had a medical degree in Poland — cared for their children. In 1994, they moved to Montgomery County, where they raised their growing family. And, when all four kids had finished high school and Voytek and Alicja began to consider selling their home and moving to the country — an idea struck.
“How about starting a vineyard and winery?” Voytek recalled asking Alicja during a trip to a Virginia winery. “And, we really didn’t know what we were getting into.”
Maryland Grape Growers Have Nothing to Wine About this Year: 2017 Harvest
Written by: Lauren Keyes- Maryland Wineries Association
Posted on: My Maryland Farmers Blog
“There’s nothing better than sipping an exceptional wine. But, sometimes, we take for granted what makes a wine so good: great grapes and skillful winemakers. In Maryland, there’s no doubt that our winemakers have the expertise. It’s the unpredictable weather that makes each harvest season challenging. Fortunately, for Maryland winemakers and wine drinkers alike, the weather this year called for a fantastic harvest…” Click HERE to continue reading
