Wine Charm Winner, and Louisiana Wineries!

Okay…so our little giveaway last week was a bit of dud…but that’s all the better for my dear friend, Miss JoJo of Poop On A Hot Tin Slide, who was the ONLY entrant!  Congrats Jo!  A CHARMing set of charms will be headed your way.  And I’m totes picking up a bottle o’ your favorite wine… for me, of course.  That would be hard to mail. :D

Also, if you haven’t checked out Jo’s blog before, you NEED to go do it.  NOW.  Okay, well, not RIGHT now—read this post first, and THEN do it.  ‘Cuz she’s awesome & hilarious & is probably the sole reason I use as much hand sani as I do.

With the topic of wine charms on the brain, I thought it only appropriate to have a wee deliberation on Lousiana libations of the Vitus varietal…

…that’s wine, of course.

Louisiana isn’t exactly widely known for their wines, but that doesn’t stop them from trying!

The three largest wineries in the state are Feliciana Cellars in Jackson, LA; Landry Vineyards in West Monroe; and Pontchartrain Vineyards  near Covington, LA. 

We sold the Pontchartrain brand when I worked at Martin’s in Metairie.  They have 5 wines: two whites, two reds, and one rose.  If you manage to come across a bottle or tour their facility, I’d recommend picking up a bottle of their Rouge Militaire, which is a dry red made with Cynthiana/Norton grapes (Vitis aestivalis).  I’m quite partial to Nortons, partially because they’re the state grape of Missouri, but mainly because they just have SO much flavor. 

Nortons are one of the few American indigenous grapes that are frequently used in American winemaking—even some European vineyards have imported them into their fields.  Dry & peppery & robust, Nortons are great with foods that can stand up to its big flavor, like smoked meats/cheeses, BBQ, or wild game.

The Feliciana winery is housed on an old Spanish-style estate, translating into their bottles with names like “Esperanza” and “Galvez”.  I have not yet had a chance to visit or taste any of their wines yet (YET), but their Dry Carlos, Galvez, and Evangeline varietals are heavily decorated by the “Wines of the South” annual competition.

And Louisiana is of course known for the muscadine grape (Vitus rotundafolia):

…a huge, sweet-tart of a fruit that Louisianans love for making jelly, juice, and of course, wine.  Both Landry and Feliciana carry muscadine wines in their repertoire.  Muscadine wines tend to be quite sweet and are typically considered a dessert wine, although there are some dry versions out there. (Note: clicking on that hyperlink there will take you to a fabulous recipe for muscadine pepper jelly.)

A few other smaller wineries to consider, if you’re in the area:

- Amato’s Winery, located between Hammond & Amite, LA

- Casa De Sue, in Sorrento, LA (a bit south of Baton Rouge)

- St. Amant, near Gonzales, LA