Wine Where You'd Hardly Expect It

© Chateau Chantal

The wine aisles in your local store have gotten a lot wider in recent years and there’s a very good reason – the wine is coming from many more places than it used to. You no longer have to just look to Napa, Bordeaux and other long-standing wine regions if you want a good vintage. Wineries are now in every state of America.

Many states have taken a bit longer than others to get a handle on wine making. In some cases, wineries have decided not to even try to produce their own grapes, or to limit their growing to a small portion of their production. This has led to a deeper interest in the art of blending and there are some very good products being produced, even in areas with poor soil. Here’s a sampling of some of the best coming from U.S. wine makers in places you may not expect.

Washington Highlight’s The Pacific Northwest

The cool rainy climate in Washington produces some unique wines and Randall Grahm believed this was the place for Riesling. The owner of California’s Boon Doon Vineyard has spent his time perfecting this crisp yet complex wine and he hit the jackpot with the 2008 Pacific Rim Riesling, produced from the grapes of Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven area of Columbia Valley. This bottle, which sells for only $15.00, took the Gold Medal at the 2009 International Riverside Wine Competition. It’s a fruity wine with a bit of sweetness, echoing apricot and peach. The uniqueness of this area of Washington also comes out with a hint of herbs.

Indiana Pulls off Cabernet

Indiana has been more famous for its Traminette and fruit wines than its reds, but some are trying to change that.  Oliver Winery, the oldest and largest in the state, is has expanded its vineyards and the grapes grown in them. The Creekbend Reserve brand is their newest line and they have decided to experiment with a wide variety of grapes. There were only 130 cases of the 2007 Creekbend Cabernet Sauvignon put out at a price of $70.00 a bottle. According to winemaker Dennis Dunmaker, they will only produce this wine on years the grapes are worthy.  They were in 2007. It’s a rich red wine that would do justice to a filet mignon.

Finger Lakes European Flair

The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, not far from Pennsylvania. More than 100 wineries enjoy the cool climate between the lakes and the area is becoming even more popular for its wines than its picturesque scenery. Among those wineries, is Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinitera Wine Cellers. Dr. Frank decided to bring his European roots with him from the Ukraine, pushing the envelope for New York wine. The 2008 Dr. Frank Gewurztraminer Reserve is a perfect example of the German sweet wine. In fact, Dr. Frank has perfected his Gewurztraminer so well that it has won a gold medal at Gewurztraminer du Monde in France – the only wine of this kind from the U.S. to ever do so.

Chicagoland Perfects Local Grape

Just a few minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, in a small residential neighborhood, is the Lynfred Winery and Bed & Breakfast. They have been producing wine in this area since 1979, though they don’t grow any grapes. Director of Winemaking Andres Basso uses some local grapes, but also searches from New York to California for the best, blending the award-winning combinations in his onsite laboratory. Ironically, their latest star wine actually came from an Illinois grape, Seyval Blanc. This hybrid of French and American grapes produces the 2009 Lynfred Winery Seyval Blanc, which sells for $25.25. It is light and sweet – perfect for summer. Many seem to agree as it took Gold at the Great Lakes Wine Competition just weeks after its release.

Across The Bridge In California

Napa and Sonoma are famous the world over, but across the Golden Gate Bridge in Alameda, California is the urban Rosenblum Cellars. Kent and Kathy Rosenblum partner with the vintners around them to develop their blends, many of which have received 90+ scores from Wine Spectator. They are most famous for their Zinfandels (at last look they had 19 different ones). One of the best is the 2006 Rosenblum Lyon’s Reserve Zinfandel. This is Rosenblum’s only Zinfandel that is made from Napa grapes. It sells for $45.00 and is a full-bodied mix of fruit and herbs, combining the hints pepper and wood from the different soils of Lyon’s (rocky) and RustRidge (gravely) vineyards.

Traverse City Uses The Parallel

The 45^th Parallel forms a line halfway between the Equator and the Equator. It also crosses some of the greatest wine regions of the world, including France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy and Italy’s Piedmont. The 45th Parallel also includes Traverse City, a land of Michigan peninsulas that has nearly 1,500 acres of grapes at more than 70 wineries. One of the largest is Chateau Chantal, which also owns 55 acres in Argentina that produces their Malbecs. It is the 2007 Chateau Chantal Proprietor’s Reserve Pinot Noir that is one of their most celebrated wines. Taster’s Guild International gave this wine a Gold Medal in 2009. At only $19.99 a bottle, enjoy this dry, earthy red that works with everything from pasta to red meat. Then finish off your meal with something the cold winters in Traverse City has enabled them to do to perfection – Ice Wine.  Brys Estate Dry Ice is one of the best.

Some of the wineries featured here are open to the public, so if you're in town and feel like a drop of grape, stop on by for a taste.