Crown Winery

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Jan 30, 2010

Favorite Wine: Chambourcin & Royal Red Blend

Norton Wine Review: After a long day's travels, sometimes it’s best to save the best for last, and this was dead on today. A winery with seventeen acres used for serious wine production. No pretense here at Crown Winery with the vintners, Peter Howard and Jane Leatherland, very adamantly admitting that their most successful wines come only from the vines of Chardonel, Chambourcin, and Traminette. So where did that leave our search for a Norton wine? Well they admitted their successes and stated their attempts to provide an acceptable Norton, named Royal Red, was purely a “love-of-labor.” An approximate 50/50 combination of Norton and Noiret wine fermented from the onset together. Next year they will do the same, but rather blend these two wines in the final bottling preparations. These two English vintners know what they are attempting and we got to get highlights of what is coming down the road for next year by being treated with tastings straight out of the tanks. This year’s Chardonel is good, but wait till you taste next year’s bottle of the equivalent. Same goes for this year’s and next year’s Chambourcin. My guess is you best put in your reservations now for next year’s Crown Winery offerings. My friend from the area left CW with their clean, yet slightly tangy Traminette.