I just joined this forum recently, and I thought I'd jump right in.

First, I'm far from an expert. When I was in the Navy and living in California years ago, I'm afraid that wine-tasting (for a sailor) was just a way to get some free booze. My first wife was from the Napa area, so we visited quite a few wineries. I liked it that one place insisted that you try to pronounce the name of the wine before tasting it.

My wife of the last ten years, Marge, and I have always preferred Beringer White Zinfandel as our wine of choice. But I did join a club where different types of wine came periodically to our house, and we've tried many others since.

Marge is from upstate New York, and during a high school reunion there, we dis some winetasting in the Watkins Glen area. One winery was owned by a High School schoolmate of hers.

In 2002, Marge decided to go back to travel nursing, and I retired so I could travel the country with her - seeing places we wanted to see, and visiting our grandkids around the country.

In California (first in La Jolla Colony and then in Walnut Creek), we drove to Mt. Shasta, Carmel, the Redwoods, the Russian River, Gurneyville (I know it's misspelled) and lots of wineries.

Our favorite wine now is V. Sattui's Gamay Rouge (a dessert wine).

Where we live now, in Northern Florida, we have visited wineries that produce a muscadine wine (scuppernong grape). In St. Augustine, at the San Sebastian Winery, we like the Vintner's White and the Vintner's Red. We even have a bottle from the 2004 Artist Series, with the "Best of Show" Artist Tom Farrell's winning painting and signature on the bottle. Since Marge's sister, Rosanne, also does painting like this (and on many other mediums as well), we like having this.

Anyway, we have found another winery closr to home - Tangled Oaks Vineyard, in Grandin, FL. So far we've shared a bottle of Spring Blush, and we have an unopened bottle of Carlos - a Florida Muscadine wine. We think the muscadine wine is vry nice - a fresh and lilting flavor.

I doubt I'll ever be an expert, but I am enjoying the different flavors.

Wow, a Gamay dessert wine. That is a new one on me.

Marge is taking me to the Tangled Oaks Winery this afternoon, so I can experience the place and the wines for myself. And we need more Spring Blush.

Neato, what sort of vines do they have there?

First, to Peter May: I was wrong! As I was talking to Dave, owner of the Tangled Oaks Winery, and telling him of V. Sattui's Gamay Rouge wine, Marge informed me that it is NOT a dessert wine, as I have been saying. Shows how little I know about wines - beyond what I like!

She said that while Port, which I like (first and only time I've tried that was at the San Sebastian Winery tasting in St. Augustine, FL), IS a dessert wine, Gamay Rouge is a dinner wine. Nevertheless, it is still my favorite.

Lisa, both the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, and the Tangled Oaks Winery, in Grandin, FL, use muscadine grapes.

A portion of my childhood was spent in South Georgia, and a muscadine grape called Scuppernong was a favorite of mine. Not only did I eat a lot, but I spent a lot of time atop the younger, lusher arbor, looking up at the clouds and day-dreaming about things young boys care about.

And Marge and I have several young muscadine vines growing.

The owner of Tangled Oaks is of the DeCasto family in Calosso d'Asti, Italy, who have been growing grapes and making wine for 100 years.

I told Dave about your board, Lisa.

And we talked about how elitist some wine people are, in only thinking wine from a particular region is worth trying.

We got some more Spring Blush, but also we tasted some Carlos. Marge had purchased these two wines before, but Dave said the blend on the Carlos was a little more subtle on this batch.

The Carlos wine is from the Scuppernong grape, and it is delicate and delightfully enlivening. I love it. But then, maybe you have to have a taste for that grape, as I do.

Anyhow we got two bottles of each.

This morning Marge bought today's Palatka Daily News. On the front page is an article, "Gold medal to Grandin firm," by Ron Bartlett, on the Tangled Oaks Vineyard winning a gold medal in the "International Wine and Grape Juice Competition at the Florida State Fair in Tampa in February."

Palatka Daily News - "Gold medal to Grandin firm"


Nice to see this local winery getting recognition. And it goes to show that good wine doesn't just come from one region.

"And it goes to show that good wine doesn't just come from one region."

Absolutely not! There was also a wine from Arkansas in the category/class (Muscadine Noble) in which the Tangled Oaks wine won a gold. Two of the otherwise all Florida-based entries won "double golds" which means that all judges agreed the wine was worthy of a gold.

$8 is a great price for a "boutique" wine.

In the beginning of my wine hobbyist days I drank many New Jersey wines and attended many festivals. Unfortunately today, one finds many NJ (and PA) wines priced between $15 and $22 (or more) a bottle.

I'm not one who believes that good wine only comes from one region (I actually don't know anybody who believes that), but I will say that if I have to pay the same for a wine I'm picking up at the winery in Warren COunty, NJ or one that was shipped across the Atlantic from Pessac-Leognan in the Bordeaux, and includes in that price profit for the grower, winery, shipper, distributor and retailer in that same $20, I'm going to aid the economy and buy the Bordeaux.

Given the current state of the dollar, I'd question whether you wouldn't get a better value purchasing from the local winery. Not to mention that more of your money would support local economy...

Appreciate the posts, guys.

Muscadine grapes apparently have much more healthy resveratrol in them than do ordinary grapes.

I don't know of any in this area. I order my resveratrol from the USA.