Another Great Red Wine from Deer Run Winery

If you liked Runway Red, you are going to like Max Black.  Deer Run Winery has done it again with this great red wine.  Max Black is in honor of the winemakers’ Scottish terrier, Max and is appealing to the sweeter wine enthusiast. 

Max Black gets it deep dark red color that almost appears black from a vintage grape that is not used very much anymore, the Vincent grape.  The Vincent was developed in Ontario, Canada at the Vineland Research station in 1967, and was developed to grow well in a cold climate. This allows the Vincent grape to be one of the last varieties to be harvested in the fall. Extra care must be taken while growing this grape, and according to research there are only three wineries in the United States that makes wine using the Vincent grape.  Deer Run Winery is one of the wineries in the United States making wine using the Vincent grape.  The Vincent is very useful for blending.  When I tasted Max Black wine I thought it tasted similar to the Concord grape, because Max Black has a very grapey taste. When I checked out what grapes are in this wine, to my disbelief the Concord was not listed, but the Niagara grape was. My next thought was that maybe the Vincent and the Niagara grape blended together could create the Concord taste; however, I had to know more. I was in such disbelief that I had to contact one of the owners to explain this to me.  Scott Kuyon, one of the owners of Deer Run Winery and vineyard manager explained this strange phenomenon.  The Niagara and Concord grapes are in the same family (Vitis labrusca).  The Niagara grape can be successfully grown in any grape district in New York.  The Niagara is a white grape and is used for freshness; however, it is not as cold hardy as the Concord.  Both the Concord and Niagara grape have the same flavor profile and characteristics.

I found Max Black to be a sweet, fruity, red wine that is smooth; with a nice fresh lingering taste.  Max Black has a 5.0% residual sugar making it a slightly sweeter red then Runway Red, which has 3.0% residual sugar.  Even though I found Max Black to be a sweet wine, it went well with pot roast, pizza, and 70% dark chocolate.

Since its release Max Black has been one of the tasting room’s most popular choices along with Runway Red, and Pebble Beach.  So if you enjoy good quality wine that has a consistent taste year after year… visit Deer Run Winery where the wine sampling is free, and Joan Kuyon (owner), a retired teacher, makes sure the retail shop is filled with delicious local cheese, mustards, and jams.  You could even sit out on the lawn and enjoy a bottle of wine that has been carefully crafted by George Kuyon (owner), a retired Kodak employee, who not only loves wine but loves to create different blends for others to enjoy.     

Comer con gusto,  Jouir, Genieten, Godere, Enjoy!

Max Black $8.49/bottle (What a deal!)

 Try this recipe to go with your next bottle of Max Black

Prosciutto-Wrapped Grapes

Ingredients

·         4 1/2 ounces very thinly-sliced prosciutto, cut into 36 relatively equal strips (about 1 1/2 inches wide by 3-inches long, if possible)

·         36 black seedless grapes

·         36 decorative toothpicks

Directions

Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each grape. Arrange them on a large plate or platter and place a toothpick in the center of each grape. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Each (6 grape) serving has: 66 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 570 mg sodium