When people think about styles of wine, certain names usually come to mind — cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, zinfandel. Recently, a new (or old, depending on how you look at it) kid on the block is giving the traditional favorites a run for their money and will be the featured star at a wine tasting event this weekend in State College.
The third annual WPSU Wine Festival, sponsored by Penn State Public Broadcasting, will be held from
1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 25 at The Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel. The event, which benefits WPSU-FM, will feature almost 300 wines from around the world and across Pennsylvania at the grand tasting. Also, a selection of premium wines, wine accessories and art will be offered in silent and live auctions. In addition, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will be on hand to sell and take orders for various wines that will be poured at the festival.
This year’s wine festival will feature a selection of Spanish, Italian and Argentine wines, said Ted Liberti, co-chairman and wine coordinator for the wine festival. Sherry wines, which are “coming back into vogue,” will be featured, and Mazza Vineyards, from Chataqua, N.Y., will offer various types of fruit brandies. Guests will also be able to sample liquors such as limoncello and sake. In addition, local winemakers such as Seven Mountains Wine Cellars and Mount Nittany Winery and Vineyard will be represented.
“You’re literally taking a tour around the world in one room,” Liberti said.
This year’s festival will spotlight Rioja wine, which is produced in Rioja, a region in north central Spain that Liberti called “one of the granddaddy famous wine regions.” Vibrant Rioja, an organization that promotes Rioja wines, will host a one-hour VIP tasting seminar starting at 12:30 p.m. with wine educator and author Marnie Old. The seminar, which costs an additional $35 per person, will feature nine Rioja wines not included in the grand tasting. Vibrant Rioja also will pour wines during the grand tasting, and several other importers at the festival will offer Rioja wines.
The beauty of Rioja wines, Old said, is that they are lighter in body than many red wines and hence are easily paired with a wider range of food.
“I think of it as the sommelier’s little black dress,” she said. “It goes with everything.”
During her seminar at the wine festival, Old said, she will present two dry whites, one dry rose and six reds, and she will demonstrate how to pair the wines with food. She also will sign copies of her new book, “Wine Secrets.”
Rioja wines are similar in character to pinot noir, Old said, but are more readily available than pinot noir, which is derived from a fickle grape that can only be grown under particular climate conditions. While wine regions in California and Italy tend to get the most attention, she added, Rioja offers a “happy middle ground” between modern and traditional styles, and a cool and warm grape-growing climate.
What is unique about Rioja wines, Old added, is that the importers age the wines for the customer instead of putting them on the market as soon as they are bottled. Also, winemakers in Rioja, in contrast to those in newer wine regions, have been perfecting their brand over the centuries.
“You just have more depth, more tradition, more distinctive European character,” she said.
Nancy Silvis, co-chair of the wine festival and a member of WPSU’s Board of Representatives, said last year’s event raised more than $40,000. Due to cuts in state funding to public broadcasting stations, she added, more funds from outside sources are needed for the station to continue its programming.
“I think fundraisers are more important to WPSU than ever before,” she said.
The third annual WPSU Wine Festival will hold its grand tasting from 1-5 p.m. Sept. 25 and the Rioja seminar will start at 12:30 p.m. at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., State College. Visit www.wpsu.org/winefestival for more information.
