Running Brook Vineyards - a pleasant surprise!

When you arrive at Running Brook Vineyard and Winery, you think you're in the wrong place. The entrance to the tasting room, which is also the wine-making area, is on the side of a large old barn. We were greeted warmly by the winemaker and owner, Manny Morais. He proceeded to delight us with his colorful descriptions of his wines, wine and food pairings, and his views on the terroir of Massachusetts.

Our favorite of the whites was the 2007 Chardonnay. It boasts a nice complexity and would be great with food.

Running Brook's reds have a lighter color than many other reds. Manny explains that he ferments the wine with the skins on for only 5 days -- vs. the typical two weeks. Thus they are not as deep in color.

Though I generally enjoy Cabernet Franc, I preferred the 2004 Cabernet Franc Merlot blend (40% Merlot) over the 2005 Cabernet Franc. The Merlot grape seems to balance the strong tannins of the cab franc grapes. This is a nice table wine.

I didn't particularly like the 2005 Cab Franc Rose because it was unfiltered, and therefore somewhat effervescent. If it was filtered, however, I think it would be dry, but not too dry, on the palate.

Running Brook makes "champagne" (sparkling wine), too. It's called Celebration 2001. The winemaker said it received quite favorable reviews over French champagnes at a recent wine tasting. I think it was quafable, but I can't be certain, as it was too warm and therefore mostly flat.

Make sure you taste their dessert wines, all of which are very good:

* Auslesen 2007 -- the "noble rot" is done with chardonnay grapes instead of reisling grapes. It's sweet, but not sickly sweet like some Ausleses. Smooth, too. Manny recommends this with some fruit mid-afternoon.

* Late Harvest Vidal -- this is the "raisin" wine -- the taste of raisins lingers on the palate. This would be a great after-dinner drink, Manny says.

* Frost Wine (Eiswein) -- this is the sweetest of the three, and delightful.

If you want to visit the New England wineries, and don't have a lot of time, skip the overly commercial and unremarkable Sakonnet Vineyards and visit Running Brook instead. It produces full-flavored whites, reds, roses and sparking wines that please the palate and will make you believe in the concept of "regional wines" (those not grown in such known wine regions as Napa).

Sakonnet Vineyards - Unremarkable

Mention New England vineyards and locals think of Sakonnet in Little Compton, RI. It is well-known because they have done some great marketing. Their tasting room is quite nice, with interesting merchandise for sale. The people behind the counter are jovial, knowledgeable and charming. Great atmosphere. Great people. Great service.

So what's wrong with this picture?

It's the wine. It's -- shall I say? -- unremarkable. Even disappointing. Here are my quick tasting notes:

• Vidal Blanc 2007 - too sweet.
• Gewurztraminer 2007 - good summer sipping wine. Delightfully light. Not too sweet. Best of the Sakonnet whites. Won a Silver Medal at the Monterey Wine Festival.
  
• Petite White (new release) - a mix of Vidal and Gewurztraminer. Ok. Less sweet than Vidal alone.
• Cock of the Walk (white)- green apples (Granny Smiths) and cantelope. Would be good with food.
• Chardonnay 2005 - odd taste... buttery and metallic
• Rose - Cabernet franc grape. A little too sweet. Nice finish. More body than most roses.
• Petite Red (new release) - 5 grapes (Cab, Cab Franc, Pinot, Lemberger and Chancellor). High in tannins. Better than pinot. Some complexity.
• Cock of the Walk (red) - 3 grapes (Cab, Lemberger, Merlot). Said to have a "smooth clean finish". But I found it highly acidic, highly astringent. Terrible.
• Rhode Island Red NV - 2 grape blend (Cab, Chancellor). Earthy. Best of the Sakonnet reds.
• Cabernet Franc 2005 - didn't like
• Pinot Noir 2007 - astringent. Yuck. Don't care for it.
• Port 2006 - Chancellor grape, fortified with brandy. Earthy. But sour aftertaste/finish.

I give the winery credit for trying -- an A for effort, sincerity and enthusiasm. Oh, and the O.T.C. (Original Wine Crackers) are quite delicious -- on their own. I prefer plain ol' oyster crackers to cleanse the palate between wines vs. these. The O.T.C. are a bit too sweet in my opinion to do the trick.

I recommend going to Running Brook Vineyards (about 30 min. away in North Dartmouth, MA). You won't find a beautiful tasting room or gift shop there, but you will taste some decent wine. Try them both and let me know what you think!