The Art and Science of Winemaking
SWINY trip to award-winning Unionville Vineyards

Saturday, May 14

Want to peek behind the bottles and barrels to discover the science and art of winemaking? Then this is the SWINY trip for you.

You may have tramped through vineyards before. Or learned how wines are picked, pressed, fermented, and aged. Or tasted a wide selection of wines made from European and hybrid grapes. And you'll get to do that when we visit Unionville Vineyards on May 14 as well.

But this tour is unusual because you'll also get to blend your own wines. Many wines marketed with names like cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, or merlot are actually blended from different barrels and different grapes in order to balance their flavors. Unionville winemaker Cameron Stark has promised a hands-on blending that will let you try your hand at vinicultural creation.

Cameron is an outstanding guide. He originally learned his trade in California, where his wines earned high marks from Wine Enthusiast. He's technically astute and has a great sense of humor, so this is a great chance for oneophiles to have their questions answered.

Cameron is also in a great position to contrast Californian and East Coast styles. And yes, there is an emerging eastern style. Over the past four years, the number of eastern wineries has roughly doubled to 203 in New York, 99 in Pennsylvania, and 100 in Ohio (and grew only 50% to 97 in Virginia).

Eastern wines are very different from those made in California. And many of these wineries are at your doorstep, just waiting to be discovered.

This is a great chance to socialize with your fellow writers, and you’re welcome to bring a friend so you can both enjoy the day. We also plan some hands-on experimentation on the bus, where we'll taste a few bottles to compare and contrast to the wines from Unionville.

We'll be leaving at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 14, from Manhattan and return between 5 and 6 pm. The cost of the trip is $35/person if you’re taking the bus and $20/person if you’re meeting us at Unionville Vineyards.

Alert: We have limited space available and expect this event to sell out fast. To reserve a space, please:

1. E-mail AlanSBrown@comcast.net to let us know you plan to come. We’ll hold your reservation for 10 days.

2. Then send a check made out to Science Writers in New York to:

Alan S. Brown
PO Box 882
Dayton, NJ 08810

If you have any questions, please e-mail Alan Brown at AlanSBrown@comcast.net .