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Health & Fitness

Locapour: Cheers to Cygnus Wine Cellars!

Briana Berg is the marketing coordinator for Maryland Wineries Association and an ambassador for the Maryland wine industry.

“Wine is like the incarnation - it is both divine and human." - Paul Tillich

Last week I had the unique privilege of sitting in on a wine tasting. I’ve been to several tastings before but this one was different. The private, exclusive setting made for open conversation, and the poetic distribution of thoughts as two gentlemen, experts in the wine community, shared their thoughts on a great Maryland wine.

We arrived at the winery slightly before 10 in the morning. Manchester, Carroll County, is a small town about an hour northwest of Baltimore. There’s charm, old-world history, and the flair of family roots around the town. Ray Brasfield, proprietor and winemaker of Cygnus Wine Cellars tells me the neighbors on his old road—just off the main street—are pretty quite. I’m not sure if that’s because his winery backs up to an old cemetery or because it’s a sleepy town. Either way, it’s evident that Ray and his grapes are left to their own devices.

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Ray took us on a brief tour of the winery. Grapes are brought in from vineyards all over the state and the crushing, fermenting, and bottling process happens all inside the confines of Ray’s cozy two-story tasting room and winery. The building used to be a cold, damp, unwelcoming slaughterhouse and went under a major renovation in 1995. Today, original fixtures from the old slaughterhouse days still stand, a reminder of what used to be, but the tasting room is bright, warm, and friendly. 

After a peak inside some of the rooms, Ray took us downstairs and the tasting began. Ray walked us through several flights of wine starting with sparkling wine. We tasted a 2008 Hampton Cuvee Brut Rosé made from grapes during a hot, short growing season. Made from Vidal Blanc and Chancellor, this sparkling was my favorite of the day. Next we tasted a creamy 2010 Blanc de Blanc made from 100% Vidal grapes. I am a Champagne drinker, and I found both of these sparkling wines to be delicious as any bubbly I’d typically enjoy.

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As the tasting continued, we tasted a 2007, 2008, and 2011 Chardonnay, a 2007 and 2008 Manchester Hall blend, a 2010 and 2011 Rosé, a 2006, 2007, and 2008 Cygnus Red, and three different vintages of Port of Manchester.

Ray invited the experienced guests to Cygnus to give him context…about his wines, the wine market and the market for Maryland wine. They both enjoyed the wines and much discussion was had about each wine, its production style, label, marketing and more.

The one guest noted that stories sell wine. Wine will sell itself once a consumer knows its story. Where the wine came from, how long it took to make, and how it was made, all contribute to its story. And every wine has a different and unique heritage. Just like any one person, a bottle of wine is composed of experiences and blends. You just have to find the right one for you.

Wine, the expert also said, connects with your own story. You may not necessarily remember the taste of a great Pinot Grigio, but you’ll remember where you had it. Maybe it was down the shore with friends and family enjoying a delicious meal of clams and crabs. You remember the smell of the ocean off your deck and the light, fruity taste of the Pinot Grigio combined with the salty seafood you shared with friends. Sometimes, it’s the memories you remember the most.

For me, certain wines stick out in my mind. I associate them with the memories I treasure, like the wine I drank the night I turned 21, or the night I graduated from college, or when I found out I had landed my first job. Ray’s wine, in its own way, tells a story waiting to be translated into your own personal memories.

Cygnus Wine Cellars is open for tasting Saturdays and Sundays. Stop in this weekend and see Ray and his wine. The neighbors might be quiet, but Ray and his grapes have a lot of stories to tell – you may just want to listen.

If you have questions about wine for Briana, send them to nickd@patch.com and they may be addressed in future columns. You can also start the conversation in the comments section below. Cheers.

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