Harwood markets itself as a "solar winery" which is pretty cool. It has one massive solar panel, which generates enough power to run both their tasting room, press, and general power use. It's not even that big, and it still does the job. When prompted to reveal his reasons behind it, the owner says that though he enjoys the environmental aspect, it was really an issue of practicality. After he bought the land, they were going to charge him 25,000$ to install power boxes, lines, poles, and systems. He looked up alternative sources, and solar was only 30000$, for more power, more independance and totally avoiding the grid. So he did. The winery is run out of miniature hangars, and seems like a fun place. The owner is a nice guy, and even gifted us a bottle of gewurz right from the tank. It wasn't that the wine was the most amazing gewurz I've ever tried, or that it is better when it's freshly bottled, but the wine was great and I really enjoyed it, partly because of it's story. Only us, and the VQA judges had received a bottle of this wine. It wasn't on market, or even bottled besides the three bottles for judging. It was a great feeling, to have that kind of exclusivity of product. We enjoyed it with a spicy cauliflower salad on the beach. Epic stuff.
Pinot Gris-
Nice level of acid
Tones of green apple and fresh, crispness
Gewurztraminer- bottled
-extremely high spice levels, really full of pepper, cloves, and allspice
-not floral at all, which I like
-some tropical hints, lychees and the like, but without their full juicy sweetness, like they wandered through, took a look around, and left only their scent. Nice touch.
St.Laurent-
-an Austrian varietal that just happens to really suit the region in nomenclature if not in climate. Apparently a very fussy grape
-smells of dark fruits, but presents a really light colour
-doesn't taste familiar at all, and I have no idea what the structure is supposed to be like, suffice to say I have no opinion on it. It was good and drinkable.
Just Desserts-
-La crescent and traminette grapes
-smacks of strawberries, a real dessert wine, but also a romantic kinda thing if you happened to be sipping with a lady who loved sweets
-not totally outrageous sweetness, but still jittery.
Gewurz tank sample
-still a touch yeasty, but ready to come out
-still has effervescent bubbles due to lack of filtration
-floral, but still a touch spicy.
This is also, I feel I should note, the winery which pete the barrelmaker came to, cut down trees, and returned them in the form of barrels. He informed us of Pete's existence, and for that I am eternally grateful.
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