WHAT'S NEW AT THE PIRTLE WINERY: SEPTEMBER 2003

"Champagne for Ladies--
Bordeaux for Gentlemen--
Burgundy for Kings!"
(Anonymous French saying)

We closely approximate two of the three here at the Pirtle Winery. Our Sparkling Mead just won a gold medal at the 2003 Indiana International Wine Competition. It isn't champagne, but it is an elegant sparkling wine. (sparkling wine can be labeled "Champagne" only if it comes from the Champagne region of France.) We work hard to keep up with the demand for sparkling mead.

The main red grape variety of French Bordeaux is Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also others used for blending. We have no similar variety that survives this climate.

The main red grape variety of the French Burgundy region is Pinot Noir. This grape doesn't survive our climate either. We have a clone of the variety Chambourcin which produces an elegant red wine extremely close to Pinot Noir in aroma and flavor. The wine has already exceeded our expectations. It has a deeper color than California Pinot Noir and we think it superior. It is a very pleasant and satisfying wine.

This years harvest of Chambourcin was just finished. We thought the dry weather (it didn't rain in July!) would hurt the vines, but they seemed to enjoy it. Two little rains in early August helped. Light cropping and the dry summer combined to intensify the varietal character of Chambourcin this season. The wine is still fermenting, slow and cool, and unhurried.

Our big hit last year was our Premium Port. We sold out of it early this summer. We just put the final touches on this years Premium Port. Early tasting of the raw, cloudy yeasty liquid shows high promise. We are excited about this years production.

I guess that two out of three plus an outstanding Port isn't bad!

Yours in wine,
Elbert & Patricia Pirtle
http://www.pirtlewinery.com

:: RECIPE OF THE MONTH: CHARLES PIRTLE'S BRAISED LAMB SHANKS ::

You will need:
4 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper each shank and sauté on all sides until nicely brown on all sides.
Put browned shanks in large baking pan.

In a food processor, add:
12 cloves garlic
2 bundles fresh dill
1 Large onion
1 bunch fresh basil
1 whole green or red pepper
Blend ingredients and pour over lamb shanks in a large baking pan. Then add:
2 cups Marsala Wine
1 cup Sherry
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
6 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs (whole)

Cover baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour - then at 325 degrees for 3 hours (this might vary, so check after 3 hours.) Serve this with crusty French bread and our Chambourcin.

We will feature this dish at a wine dinner this fall.