 |
| Last night we finally got around to consuming this particular bottle of red. It was quite satisfactory as Mary Poppins might say. I bought this when we stopped at Ventimiglia Winery on the New Jersey wine trail. Part of the charm was the boat on the label, which I believe is a surviving member of an ancient class of racing yachts still active, either somewhere on Barnegat Bay or perhaps southern New York (maybe the LYC on the main sail indicates Larchmont Yacht Club). However, I can find nothing about this boat via the all knowing www.. Perhaps Baydog or one of my other fellow travelers can comment. |
Love the label, and I'd buy the wine solely for that reason.
ReplyDeleteA very pleasant wine. A bit spendy compared to French or Australian competitors but I rationalize by telling myself I'm supporting and thereby promoting the growth of good home-grown wines. And yes--the label helped push the decision!
DeleteThe wines made closer to home are often more expensive than some made across the globe.
DeleteIn New Jersey, that would be Lavallette Yacht Club, but I don't know the class.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me of Lavallette YC. That club always slips my mind because I've never raced there.
DeleteI wondered if the boat on the label is one of the Herreshoff boats like a Fish or an S class but the images of those boats are not correct for the one on the label. The bottle label claims that the boat was designed and built by Anthony Ventimiglia but again no positive verification on the www.
I'll go out on a limb and say that boat's not from Lavallette, but I'm far from a Barnegat Bay sailing historian.
DeleteAlthough it's in NJ, that winery is nearer to Larchmont than to Lavallette.
DeleteThe rig does look a bit like a Herreshoff Fish, except the mast is too long.
I wonder if this is some weird "composite" boat with a rig from one class and a hull from another.
Interesting. Definitely a modern restoration or reproduction given the modern sail construction. The designer is definitely not a name in the normal pantheon of North American yacht designers in early 1900's. I seem to have a recollection that I have come across another photo of an LYC class but don't know where. In the early 1900's, before we came to the national classes, many clubs commissioned one-design knock-about fleets for their own club members. Perhaps this is one of them.
ReplyDeleteSussex county wine. Merlot is just my style. Japanese wine is awful, thankfully French and South American wines are affordable. But if you live in NJ, buy local and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThirty years ago New Jersey wines were terrible but they've very much improved since then. So take heart, if you live long enough I'm sure that Japanese wine makers will also climb up that learning curve! The French after all, do have a very long head start...
DeleteIt's a long road from torpedo juice to Bordeaux. ;)
DeleteIn the meantime go to your local bottle shop and see if you can find this French wine:
ReplyDeleteLa Vieille Ferme, Appellation Ventoux Controlee Vin rouge Recolte 2012 Rhone.
I find it agreeably priced at around $13 (US) for a 1.5 litre bottle. I like it better than a more expensive Bordeaux I tried after others cottoned on to my little discovery and the shelf was bare :(
No doubt easier to find than one of Ventimiglia's offerings!
If you like the Ventoux wines you'd probably love those modern but less famous Cote du Rhone wines.
DeleteI agree Noodle; many Cote du Rhone offerings are quite yummy!
ReplyDelete