Each year about this time, I join a group of West Virginia wine lovers who are called upon to select the best wines produced by state wineries in seven different categories (e.g., dry red; semi-sweet white; dry white; dessert, etc.). This annual tasting gives me a pretty good indication and historical perspective on the quality of Mountain State wines since we've been judging the competition for about 15 years. I'm happy to report that West Virginia-made wine has improved steadily over the past decade. I'm also happy to report that the number of wineries has increased from just a few to 17 in the past ten years.

While many of these wines can be good to exceptional, wine makers in the state face very difficult growing conditions that force them to use vines that can limit their ability to make great wines. Why? There are many key elements to producing a good bottle of wine, including soil, climate, geography and wine making competence. But the most essential component is the grape itself, and the family of vines to which it belongs.

The world's most famous wine grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc, zinfandel and a thousands of others belong to a class known as vitus vinifera. Two other classes of wine grapes are vitus labrusca, native American vine-producing grapes such as concord and catawba, and French-American hybrid grapes such as seyval blanc, vidal blanc and chambourcin.

Labursca can make decent, but distinctly flavored wines while French-American hybrids (which are French vines grafted onto American rootstock) produce wines significantly better than labrusca but not as fine as vinifera vines.

So, in the quality hierarchy, vinifera grapes produce, by a far measure, the best quality wines followed by French-American hybrids and then labrusca varietals. The point of all this is simply that vinifera grapes make the best wine. Why, then, don't more West Virginia wine makers produce vinifera grapes if these make superior wines? Well, the fact is that labrusca and French-American hybrids are considerably more hardy and prolific than vinifera. They are also less susceptible than vinifera to mold, diseases and the sometimes harsh realities of West Virginia weather.

In other words, vinifera vines are very delicate and require more moderate temperatures than we typically experience in West By Golly. Our summers are too hot and our winters are too cold to sustain and successfully grow vinifera in the state on consistent basis.

It's really amazing, then, that wineries in Virginia -- just across the Allegheny Mountains -- can grow cabernet, chardonnay and even viognier (as well as other vinifera varieties) with relative ease while our climate limits our ability to be successful. And while it is certainly more difficult to grow vinifera in West Virginia, it is not impossible to do so and one winery in particular has been successful at it for years.

Charles Whitehill is the owner and wine maker at Potomac Highland Winery in Keyser and he goes to great lengths and takes great pains to insure that his riesling and chardonnay vines survive the harsh winters and hot summers of the eastern West Virginia mountains. But the results, as far as I am concerned, are well worth the effort.

I'm sure we will see more West Virginia wineries add vinifera to their stable of wines in the coming years. Still, I am really impressed with the overall quality of the wines being produced in our state and I hope you will try them. The wineries are also fun places to visit and usually have tasting facilities where you can sample the wines. However, because these wineries are relatively small operations, it is always a good practice to call ahead before visiting them.

Below is a listing of state wineries with contact information I obtained from the WV Department of Agriculture website.

Cascarelli's Old Country WineRt. 3, Box 55A
Salem, WV 26426
304/782-2768

Daniel Vineyards200 Twin Oaks Road
Crab Orchard, WV 25827
Phone: 304/252-9750

Fisher Ridge Winery 325 McKinley Avenue
Charleston, WV 25314
Phone: 304/345-2306

Forks of Cheat Winery2811 Stewartstown Road
Morgantown, WV 26508
Phone: 304/598-2019

Jones Cabin Run Vineyards HC 71Box 129F
Tanner, WV 26137
Phone: 304/462-4446

Kenco FarmsP. O. Box 454
Sutton, WV 26601
Phone: 304/765-7980

Kirkwood Winery45 Winery Lane
Summersville, WV 26651
Phone/FAX: 304/872-7332

Lambert's Vintage Wines, LLC190 Vineyard Drive
Weston, WV 26452
Phone: 304/269-3973 or 4903

Martin's Mist WineryRR 2, Box 104Buckeye, WV 24924
304/799-6455

Mountaineer Winery3252 Mason Dixon Highway
Core, WV 26529
Phone: 304/879-5912

Potomac Highland WineryRR 6, Box 6980
Keyser, WV 26726
Phone and Fax: 304/788-3066

Roane Vineyards1585 Reedyville Road
Spencer, WV 25276
Phone: 304/927-1939

Robert F. Pliska and Co. Winery101 Piterra Place
Purgitsville, WV 26852-0101
Phone: 1-877-RGRAPES

Toscano in Appalachia WinesRR 1, Box 251
LeRoy, WV 25252
304/275-3936

Watts Roost Vineyard2245 Blue Sulphur Pike
Lewisburg, WV 24901
304/645-5308 or 304/667-8843

West-Whitehill Winery 4484U.S. 220 S.
Moorefield, WV 26836
Phone: 304/538-2605

WolfCreek WineryHC 75, Box 36A
Wolfcreek, WV 24993
Phone: 304/772-5040

One of my favorite blogger/columnists is Eric Asimov of the New York Times. He has a weekly blog called The Pour, where he explores broad issues relating to the fruit of the vine. One of his recent blogs dealt with the premise of a new book, "The Wine Trials" by Robin Goldstein.

The introductory paragraph to Asimov’s April 11 blog reads: “In yet another anti-intellectual effort to take fancy-schmancy wine down a peg or two, a new book purports to demonstrate that price bears little relation to quality and that the experts don’t know what they are talking about. The evidence? Blind taste tests of 540 wines by 500 volunteer tasters.”

That blog and the comments it elicited got me thinking about how we all make choices regarding the wines we select for every day drinking and for special occasions. Certainly, we can all agree that quality wines that offer great value are worth seeking out. So how do we determine what is not only an acceptable wine, but one that is exceptional? Well, let me take a crack at it.

Some of us depend upon rating systems (such as Robert Parker's 100 point scale). Others depend on buying wine from exceptional vintages and from specific wine regions like Bordeaux. Still others focus on the wineries that consistently produce exceptional wine or (heaven forbid!) on the supposed relationship between ascending price (of wine) and quality.

How do you judge the quality of a wine? I’ve advised people to taste them blind. In other words, cover the label (by placing the bottles in plain brown bags) to take away any possible price or winery bias so that you can truly judge the product on its quality. Blind tastings are something I do regularly so I can objectively evaluate the aroma, taste and visual qualitative elements that are the basis for whether I recommend a wine or not.

While all these evaluation methods have merit (except for basing your selection solely on price), I think there is one that we oftentimes overlook that is also important to consider. Here is an example of what I mean.

So there we were, sitting in an outdoor trattoria perched high above Lake Como in Northern Italy. It was a beautiful summer evening, the food was simple but delicious. And the wine? The wine was produced by the family that owned the restaurant and was among the best that had ever passed these lips.

That entire multi-course meal with wine set me back all of $35, but this was one of the best wine and food experiences of my life. Why, you ask? Well actually the reason has to do with one of the most important elements of food and wine appreciation, but also one of the most understated: context.

Do not underestimate how the setting or context of your tasting affects your perception of the quality of the wine. I’ve had experiences where the wine I was sipping was rated exceptionally by just about every well-respected critic, and yet I could not find in it any redeeming qualities. Why? Well sometimes it has to do with whom I am forced to consume the stuff, the location of the tasting or even my mood.

Business meetings, where tensions are high and where the food and wine are secondary to accomplishing some corporate objective, are for me among the most difficult times to enjoy and objectively evaluate wine. At such dinners, I am tempted to order a wine that I actually dislike so that it will not be a distraction to the sometimes distasteful subjects under discussion – but, of course, I don’t.

So the next time you ‘re using your critical wine appreciation skills to determine the quality of a specific bottle, please add the element of context to the equation. Oh, of course I could not resist adding my comment to The Pour on the subject of the price-versus-quality argument. Here’s what I added to that discussion:

‘The journey toward wine appreciation begins with one tentative, small step and, hopefully, becomes a passionate lifelong exploration. That a book such as 'The Wine Trials' has an audience is testament to the growing interest in wine in this country, and that is a good thing! While we more experienced wine lovers can engage in sometimes pedantic discussions about the validity or premise of such a book, we should probably also revel in the fact that the author found 500 people interested enough to participate in the exercise. I’m constantly searching for wines that offer both quality and value, and when I find such gems, it gives me great pleasure to share that knowledge with my readers. I’ll probably buy the book and do my own evaluation on a few of the wines suggested. Then, based upon my very unscientific conclusions, I’ll decide whether to recommend it to those few souls who think my opinion counts.’

Robert Mondavi’s enthusiasm for all things related to wine and his own winery was both heartfelt and infectious.

One of the icons in the world of wine died last week. Robert Mondavi, 94, passed away at his home in the Napa Valley after a lifetime of literally and figuratively toiling in the vineyard to insure the growth of wine appreciation around the world. Wine to Mondavi represented more than just a pleasant beverage to enjoy with friends and family around the dinner table.

In his 1998 autobiography, “Harvests of Joy,” Mondavi said: “My passion for bringing wine into the American culture was motivated by a desire to plant deep into the soil of our young country the same values, traditions and daily pleasures that my mother and father had brought with them from central Italy: good food, good wine and love of family.”

He was born to Italian immigrant parents in Virginia, Minnesota, in 1913 where his father had a business supplying wine grapes to other immigrants who worked in the iron ore mines of the region. The family moved to Lodi, California and then later to the Napa Valley. During this time, Robert worked with his father and brother at the Sunny St. Helena Winery. In 1936, he graduated from Stanford University with a degree in marketing.

During World War II, he and his brother Peter convinced his father to purchase the Charles Krug Winery. At Krug the brothers managed the moderately successful winery until family differences forced Robert to establish his own winery in 1966.

The Robert Mondavi Winery was an architectural masterpiece and the first showcase wine facility in the Napa Valley. Mondavi’s innovative public relations ideas and his sales acumen made the winery a must stop spot for wine lovers and tourists alike. He also traveled around the world as a wine evangelist, touting Napa Valley's labors . In 1979, the Robert Mondavi Winery joined forces with Bordeaux First Growth winery Chateau Mouton Rothschild to produce Opus One. Today, Opus One is considered among the best wines in world.

As a personal aside, I had the opportunity to sip that first vintage of Opus during a visit to Mondavi in 1981-- and I owe it all to chili. Let me explain. A few months before the visit to Mondavi, I had won the West Virginia State Chili Cook-off at Snowshoe. My prize: two tickets to L.A. to compete in the World Chili Championship.

While I did not win any prizes in LA, my wife and I, along with two other couples, rented a van for a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to visit the wine country of Napa and Sonoma. We had called ahead to the Mondavi Winery to see if we could get a tour of the facility. Much to our shock and surprise, our tour guide was Robert Mondavi.

A gracious and humble man, Mondavi’s enthusiasm for all things related to wine and his own winery was both heartfelt and infectious. After walking us through the winery, he stopped in a large cool room where hundreds of new French oak barrels were stacked. Grabbing a long glass tube he called a “thief,” he pulled the bung on one of the barrels and extracted wine from it and put a little in each of our glasses. Then he put his nose to the glass, breathed in the heady aroma of the deep purple wine and said: “Salute.”

As we all sipped this very young and tannic wine, Mondavi explained to us that we were drinking the first vintage of Opus One which would be bottled sometime in the future. What a treat! After a lunch where we were joined by other employees of the winery, we were given two bottles of Schramsberg Sparkling wine along with directions to the site (on the top of a hill in the middle of the Napa Valley) where construction was about to begin on Robert Mondavi’s new home.

At sunset, we ascended the winding gravel road to the top of the hill and found an old and gnarled Acacia tree under which we opened the Schramsberg and toasted Robert Mondavi.  Today, as I reflect on his passing, I once again lift my glass to that very special man. Rest in peace!

My good friend and fellow Gazz blogger Rich Ireland is always touting the compatibility of beer with food, and I have to agree there are some pretty interesting brew and grub combos. But for those of you out there who occasionally sip beverages other than the fruit of the vine, you might be interested in a rather unique sipping and supping event featuring some pretty unusual food and beverage pairings. How about full course gourmet meal accompanied by……Scotch? Well, listen up.

Bridge Road Bistro in Charleston and Boathouse Bistro in Morgantown will hold Scotch and related spirits tasting dinners in October. A Scotch master will join guests at the Charleston restaurant Thursday, Oct. 2, and at the Morgantown restaurant Thursday, Oct. 16, as they enjoy a spirited dinner with an appetizer-to-dessert menu that features the Scotch they’ll be drinking. In Charleston, the Scotch tasting will feature The MacCallan Scotch and in Morgantown, the featured Scotch will be The Balvenie.

Both dinners begin at 6 p.m. and cost $100 per person, with a portion of that being a donation to the Appalachian Education Initiative So, if you’re a Scotch lover, call 304-225-0101 and reserve your place

So, back to the “written” version of my wacky world of wine (see post below on the whereabouts of "WineBoy, the Webcast"). I’ve been cleaning out my recent tasting notes and have come up with several goodies that should provide you with a blend of red, white and rose wines for your consideration. Here are some goodies: 2005 Vincent Giardin Cuvee Saint Vincent Bourgogne Rouge ($25) – The 2005 vintage in Burgundy was a sensational success for both red (pinot noir) and white (chardonnay) wines. It is very rare for Burgundian pinot noir to have both finesse and richness, but the ’05 Cuvee Saint Vincent is a wine that should please both the European and American palate as it is light-bodied, yet round with sweet fruit flavors. This beauty blends the vinification styles of both Burgundy and California to produce a wine with aromas of It would make a superb accompaniment to roasted pork tenderloin in a light mustard crème sauce.

2006 Gramona Gessami ($18) – This unique Spanish wine (from Catalonia) is a blend of 70 percent muscat and 30 percent sauvignon blanc. With aromas of spice and ripe pear, this golden wine is chock full of slightly sweet citrus and apricot flavors that are balanced out by good acidity. It would be a delicious match to spicy oriental foods like Thai curry.

2007 Sierra Cruz Carmenere ($10) -As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family, carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. While it is not now used in France, Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The ’07 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft, medium-bodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak.

2007 Marques De Caceres Rose ($12) – A lovely, fruit-forward and bone dry rose from the famous Rioja region of Spain. The '07 Marques De Caceres is a blend of tempranillo and grenache and has aromas of strawberry and hay. In the mouth, this wine has a dried cherry and spice flavor profile that gives it a richness that is balanced by crisp acidity. Great for a picnic and it is especially simpatico with grilled chicken.

2007 Sierra Cruz Sauvignon Blanc ($10) This Chilean sauvignon blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass. Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts, mushrooms and parmesan.

2006 Conclass Rueda ($12) – This is another sleeper white from Spain that is simply delicious! Crisp, yet full flavored, this wine is a combination of verdelho and sauvignon blanc and really delivers with citrus flavors and stony minerality. It is a mouthful of wine, but very balanced and just begs to paired with Chilean sea bass sautéed in olive oil, shallots, a pinch of thyme and cracked white pepper.