Leonardtown, MD — Port of Leonardtown Winery (POL) and the Southern Maryland Wine Grower’s Cooperative (SMWGC), announce the release of 2015 Vidalacato, Southern Maryland’s newest Winemaker, Lauren Y. Zimmerman’s, first new release!
Lauren’s knowledge regarding the ins and outs of making wine began in a small wine region in Prince Edward County located in Ontario, Canada where she worked in vineyards while still attending high school. Lauren studied wine making & viticulture in Niagara Falls, Ontario; has worked under winemakers of well ranked small production North American wineries & a large production winery in New Zealand; owned a small vineyard & made her own wine in her home town of Ontario, Canada; actively participated in [continues to do so] the Maryland Wine Association (MWA) as a member;and worked with several area wineries prior to becoming Port of Leonardtown Winery’s Winemaker.
2015 VIDALACATO, a sophisticated sweet white wine made from 100 percent Vidal Blanc grapes, is being released just in time for summer. Aged and fermented in stainless to preserve the naturally occurring fruity characteristics of orange, nectarine and peach, with no added sugar, Port of Leonardtown Winery’s Vidalacato is technically a Frizzante,comparable to a would be Moscato sophisticate, undergoing a slightly more complex process that within the wine industry is generally considered “a step above”the typical Moscato.
The process of making fine wine requires special skills and talents. Vidal Blanc is one of a few grape varietals that grow extremely well in Maryland, another being Chambourcin; however, each harvest requires the proper attention to turn out a good wine. In 2015, POL’s 2014 Vidalacato sold out in less than three months. Thisyear, we bottled twice as much hoping to keep in stock throughout summer. SMWGC is happy to haveLauren as our new winemaker in charge of making award winning wine for Port of Leonardtown Winery, the Southern Maryland Community and beyond.