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St. Michaels Winery
Have you checked out St. Michaels Winery? Do. It's in the Old Mill just as you enter St. Michaels. Their own wines, made from California and Maryland grapes. Perfectly yummy.
The winery's been open slightly over a year and turning out some really lovely wines. My favorite is the Viognier, nice medium body, dry but still fruity and floral. But on a cool night in January, we were there for an event that is most often behind-the-scenes for the general public: a comparison tasting of the same wine, different storage methods. St. Michaels Winery is in the process of determining the best barrels for a fine Merlot. For 2-1/2 months, the same merlot was aged in five different barrels: 1. Stainless Steel (no oak, obviously) 2. Oak from Nevers, France (with a medium-plus toast) 3. Hungarian Oak (with a medium-plus toast) 4. American Oak (medium-low fire) 5. American Oak (medium-plus toast)
Don't know about toast? I didn't either. But a barrel is "toasted"
or charred on the inside once built, and the level of toast or burn affects the flavor of the wine much like carmelizing
imparts a different flavor to food. (If I've got the wrong, somebody please correct me.)
A taste of each wine was poured into five glasses, and set out for guests along with pad, pencil, breads and cheeses. Laurie Forster, the Winecoach and Ray O'Mara, a trained sommelier and manager of the Aspen Wye River Conference Center officiated. We blind tasted from outside in. Results? The experts generally preferred #2 and #5 with the smokier flavor (a table companion remarked about 'bacon' and I never could get it out of my head after that. #1 was the cleanest with no complexity. #3 and #4 were fruitier, red and black berries. Many of my table-mates gravitated in that direction. At the time, we had no idea of the toasts, and it was a revelation. What happens next? The Merlots will be blended, says Mark Emon, owner
of the winery. Look for it in the months to come, and for more information about the winery, visit www.st-michaels-winery.com
St. Michaels Winery Open Mon - Sat 12 - 6 PM, Sun 11 - 4 PM 605 South Talbot St, #6 Saint Michaels, MD 21663 410-745-0808
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