If you're used to traveling to Napa, Chicago or Aspen for a major wine-tasting event, listen up.
There won't be a need to travel outside of your zip code this weekend: simply head to the grounds of the Milwaukee Art Museum where on Friday and Saturday nights the wines will be flowing.
I drove by the museum using Lincoln Memorial Drive on Wednesday and the set-up for Milwaukee Wine Festival was already in action, including white tents and porta-potties.
Organizers are stating that you can sample up to 270 wines for the price of $35 ($27 in advance, via MilwaukeeWineFestival.com or (877) 772-5425) – not a bad deal at all.
I took a peek at the list of participating wineries to try and gauge which ones are worth standing in line for, since ultra-cheap wines like Barefoot and Yellow Tail – which retail for around $6-$7 a bottle, not worth sipping in lieu of high-end wines at the same price – are unfortunately on the roster.
Frederick Wildman & Sons is a well-regarded importer of wines, and savvy enough to know what we like to drink – sometimes before we even realize it. Fourteen wines from the importer's portfolio will be poured, so it's definitely worth a stop (or two, if you want to begin with whites and circle back for reds) in order to check them out.
For a crisp, acidic white, you must try Hanna Sauvignon Blanc (available at Terlato Wines) from Sonoma County. This wine continually wins high scores from Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator and it's one of my personal favorites during the summer months. (Owner Christine Hanna authored a seasonally focused cookbook last year that is sitting proudly on my bookshelf.)
Francis Ford Coppola, in addition to being a terrific filmmaker and director, saw some star-studded potential in Northern California's wine business (he's also got resorts in Central America, but that is another story) and has had great success. Six of his wines will be poured from the Sofia (yes, named after his daughter), Diamond and Votre Sante labels.
ICON Estates will offer half a dozen of its wines. All are excellent, including Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay from New Zealand, guaranteed to bring back all those Chardonnay drinkers who fled the drink years ago after detecting too much oak in their glasses, and Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards Pinot Noir (California's Central Coast), which is a good pick on a hot summer day when you still crave a red wine.
Finally, if you have been dying to sample some Washington reds, here is your chance. Visit the Select Cellars tent. Seven Hills Walla Walla (Washington) Cabernet Sauvignon ($32 a bottle) is a wine that's easy to love: its earthy, dusty bouquet slips easily into notes of cherries and black currants.
