Who's the new guy?

We want you to get to know Matt Uva.  He’s the new Tasting Room Manager and Brand Ambassador at Quantum Leap.   With a vast knowledge of wine and last name that means “grape” in Italian, we think he’s a perfect fit.  Well, almost perfect.  (We’re almost all dog people around the winery, Matt.)

With an open and easy approach to wine, Matt can talk you through a tasting or help you find the perfect wine to go with any event, party, gift, or meal.  The Tasting Room is open from 2-7pm Thursdays and Fridays and 12-6pm on Saturdays—swing by and meet him.

Where are you from and how did you end up in Orlando?

I’m from New England (surprising, given my appearance). Ended up in Orlando the way most men do: chasing a girl.


What’s your background?

I’ve been in the wine and spirits industry for about 15 years. I’ve held just about every job in the wine business, from driving the truck to designing award-winning wine lists to running a retail chain and everything in between.


Have you always had an interest in wine?  How did your interest in wine come about?

When I graduated high school, I was gifted a bottle of 1982 Cheval Blanc. I had no idea what it was; I just thought it meant I was now mature enough to drink. A friend and I used a Swiss Army knife to pull the cork and drank it directly from the bottle on a swing set behind a grammar school. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what I had done (that bottle would be about $8,000 today) and decided to learn more about wine as my penance. For obvious reasons, it’s a fun subject to learn about.

What was your most memorable wine moment?

As a “wine guy” you get the opportunity to have so many of these moments.  It’s impossible to focus on just one. Buy me a drink and I’ll give you a different tale each time. I’ve been very lucky over the years.


Tell me what you like most about wine/Quantum Leap. (Why did you want to join the team at QL?)

The idea of a winery that emphasizes sustainability and works to reduce the carbon footprint of the vineyard-to-table process really sings to me. I don’t think most Americans realize how much energy is wasted in the wine and spirits industry. Doing all of this in Florida and still using Vitis Vinifera grapes is an amazing undertaking. The Quantum Leap concept is really the winery of the future and it’s fascinating to get to play a part in that.


What’s your favorite current QL wine and why?

What’ve ya got open? It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’ve been hitting the Panther’s Tale quite a bit lately. It’s like a funkier, drier Pinot Noir – big cherry fruit, some spice notes, and an overall earthiness that I just really dig.

What’s your favorite wine of all time?

That’s an impossible question with no real answer, but the grape that will get me every time is Rötgipfler. It’s this weird little Austrian white that grows on about 9 acres. It produces the most complex wines I’ve ever tasted. The fact that it’s next to impossible to find makes it even better when I do come across it. I used to rep for a distributor back North that had one in their portfolio and whenever someone said, “I don’t drink white”, I’d pull out a bottle of Rötgipfler and change their lives forever.


What do you drink when not enjoying wine?

I’m a huge beer nerd, but living in Orlando it’s hard not to become a fan of cocktails. Some of the best bartenders in the business are working here, and what they’re doing is changing the industry. When I talk to friends around the country and mention local bartenders, they gush as if I’ve been hanging out with a major celebrity.


What hobbies or interests do you have beside wine?

Mountain climbing, whitewater kayaking, and downhill mountain biking – good thing I moved to Florida! Now that I’m a “flatlander” I’ve turned to raising butterflies, working my urban garden, and antiquing. Macho, I know.


Who’s your personal hero?

John Muir. Outdoorsman, poet, historical badass, and a killer beard.

This or that

Red or white?
Rosé


Old World or New World?
New World


Screw caps or corks?
Corks


Cats or dogs?
Cats (I’ve got 6!)

My First Perfectly Paired Class

A little context-- I am the marketing intern at Quantum Leap and I am pretty new to wine.  I recently went to my first Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Perfectly Paired class and this blog post outlines my experience.

There aren’t many subjects as vast as wine-- now add cheese, chocolate, and the inexact art of pairings.   As a novice to wine, I was unsure how well I was going to get along in July’s Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate class.  But from the first step into the room, I knew this class was going to be fun and entertaining. 

Everyone sat at family-style long tables and the atmosphere was light and pleasant.  The whole evening felt like a dinner party hosted by very (very, very) informed hostesses—Jill, the co-owner of Quantum Leap, Tonda, owner of La Femme du Fromage, and Lisa Wilk, founder of Orlando Uncorked. 

They opened the class with excitement over the pairings that they created together.  And if they are excited by the pairings, then they must be good.

There were five pairings in all.  The class is set up so each item is explained individually—how the cheese is made, how the chocolate is developed, and where the wine is sourced and then the pairing is looked at as a whole—why does the wine add to the cheese and chocolate and vice versa.  Delicious and informative.

My favorite was the triple crème cheese paired with Quantum Leap’s new sparkling wine.  It was an easy pairing to love-- the cheese was luxuriously smooth and buttery and the wine added a delightful lightness.  The triple crème was followed by a white chocolate dipped strawberry from Peterbrook Chocolatiers, which brought out light strawberry notes in the sparkling wine. 

If you like learning about wine, cheese, and chocolate as much as you enjoy eating it, Perfectly Paired classes are definitely for you.

Stay tuned to the website calendar or Facebook page for the next Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate class!

Around the World with Quantum Leap: Veneto, Italy

Gorgo Winery, Veneto, Italy

"In wine, there is truth." 

 Pliny the Elder

Veneto, the 20^th province of Italy, is world-renowned for its beautiful historic cities like Venice, Verona, and Padua, for brands like Benetton, Geox, De’Longhi, and, of course, for its wine. 

The region has a long history with human settlement going back 7,000 years. Around the second century BCE, the Romans established many of its cities, including Venice and Verona, and brought viticulture the region.  Veneto continued to grow and maintain a strong wine culture.  In 1885, the Veneto region established the first Italian school of vine growing.

Today, Veneto is the largest wine producing region in Italy.  High volume doesn’t take away from quality.  It’s also the largest producer of DOC wines.  DOC stands for denominazione di origine controllata, and is the second highest industry quality standard in Italy.  The Veneto region is typically known for the production of Soave, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Prosecco wine varietals, yet there are many other great varietals in the region.

Veneto is situated in the far northeastern section of the Italian boot.   Thanks to a coastline on the Adriatic Sea, it has a temperate climate with fairly hot summers and cool winters. A temperate climate is important as it allows the vines to have long, warm periods to finish growing and ripening.

Roberto and Roberta Bricolo, owners of Gorgo Winery

The Gorgo Winery, a partner of Quantum Leap and the producer of their Custoza, and Pinot Grigio, has been family owned for 41 years and is currently run by Roberto Bricolo and his daughter Roberta.  The winery sits on the far left of the Veneto region and is 30 minutes away from the city of Verona. This part of the Veneto region is known for its especially mild climate and fertile soil.  

Roberto and Roberta use a mix of traditional techniques and modern innovations in growing and ripening grapes. Sustainability is also important.  The grapes are grown sustainably by using smart water practices and only using natural fertilizers and pesticides. To read more about Gorgo Winery, please click here. 

Quantum Leap is proud to offer both red and white Veneto region wines.  We invite you to try our white Veneto region wines-- Garda, a white blend, and Gorgo Winery’s Pinot Grigio and Custoza, a white blend.  Or if you prefer to try a red Veneto region wine, our Panther’s Tale is a smooth and balanced blend of Corvina and Merlot from the Veneto region.

We look forward to seeing you at the winery soon!

Sources:

http://www.zainoo.com/en/italy/veneto/journey-veneto

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/veneto-wine-region.htm

http://www.bottlenotes.com/winecyclopedia/region-italy-the-veneto

http://www.chiff.com/wine/europe/veneto.htm

http://www.winecountry.it/regions/veneto/

Around the World with Quantum Leap: Stellenbosch, South Africa

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey

As a négociant-style winery, our roots range from the states of Washington and California to the countries of Italy and South Africa. In this post, we’ll take you to the source of our merlot and cabernet sauvignon: the bright and warm city of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Let’s start with a little background on South African wines in general.  In terms of size, South Africa is the 7^th largest wine producer in the world. The most planted grape variety is chenin blanc, followed by cabernet sauvignon, colombard, syrah, and sauvignon blanc.  Although wine is a 300-year-old industry in South Africa, it was largely ignored in the 20^th century due to sanctions against apartheid.  Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the industry has had a rebirth and South African wines are widely considered to be some of the best in the world.   

Stellenbosch, South Africa is located about 50 km east of Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.  After Cape Town, it is the second Dutch settlement and it is the second oldest wine producing area in South Africa. Stellenbosch is a sub-region of the larger wine-growing area called the Costal Region.  As of 2012, Stellenbosch has 16.5% of South Africa’s wine grape vineyards and produces 8.3% of the wine in South Africa.

So, why is this area such a great place to grow wine?  Stellenbosch has the benefit of having a Mediterranean climate and a granite, sandstone, and shale soil combination that is a perfect for growing red wine vines. Even though Stellenbosch is 20 km from the ocean, the sea breeze does provide cool air in the summer and moderates the temperature of the area allowing the grapes to ripen at ideal rate.

If you can’t make a trip to picturesque Stellenbosch yourself, Quantum Leap is proud to bring a little of South Africa to Orlando and we invite you to try both our merlot and cabernet sauvignon.  Each are fabulous examples of the stellar wine that is coming from South Africa.

Exploring Sicily

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend last week cycling through Sicily - which is quite a feat as Sicily has many, many hills. Sicily is an island on the southern part of Italy and is great place to visit if you get the chance. The people of Sicily are very nice, the food is delicious and they have some tasty wines made from indigenous grapes.

 The wines from Sicily are getting to be more and more popular...likely the most famous grape variety is Nero d' Avola (a red wine), but they have many other varieties that I recommend you keep a look out for...one is Grillo, a crisp white wine - perfect for a hot day. Catarratto is another wonderful white with a touch more elegance and aromatics. Another res to keep an eye out for is Negrello Mascalese - a dark, spicy red with great depth. Obviously there are more grapes grown in Sicily as there are more vineyards there than any other Italian regions.

For those food lovers, I would be remiss to not touch on some of the wonderful food specialties that I sampled while there. Pasta alla norma -- a wonderful pasta dish with tomato, eggplant, cheese, Scabber fish - a long fish that they typically serve rolled up - the fish has a sweet and clean taste, then there is  fresh ricotta (served both sweet and savory), and for those with a sweet tooth - Sicily is into their Dolce, there were so many delicious deserts from a Pistachio and ricotta pie to a cucumber and mint sorbet served along side a warm pastry filled with sweet ricotta and chocolate (heavenly!!!)

Now on to Sardinia to meet with some more potential wine partners and explore what Sardinia has to offer...

A challenging week...

To say last week was a challenging week would be an understatement. Murphy's Law, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" was in full force. 

Last week our plan was to get our bottling line installed on Monday and Tuesday and begin bottling our red blend on Tuesday afternoon. We did not start bottling anything until mid-day Friday. There were issues with filters, pumps, hoses, and then we had the wrong capsules (those are the things on top of wine bottles), and the labels were incredibly stubborn and didn't want to go on straight. And so on...and so on...

It may sound like I'm complaining, but actually I'm not. While it was a difficult week and at one point I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry - and FYI, I laughed. It was still a day in the wine business and that's not so bad.

At the end of the day, all we want to do is to create wines that people will enjoy and are a little friendlier to the environment, and of course have fun! And while not ever day is fun-filled - we do manage to smile, laugh, joke and enjoy the fruits of our labor quite often.

Here's to a better, more productive week. Cheers!

A Leap Year

"Leap and the net will appear."...It's not often that I take advice from a magnet. 

In 2011, a friend of mine knew I was considering making a big move away from the corporate world to open a winery, and then one day I received a magnet in the mail with the phrase above on it. This phrase became my mantra as I pushed through my anxiety and fear about leaving a safe, secure job to pursue my passion for wine and venture out into the world of entrepreneurship.

It's been over a year since I left that corporate job and my business partner, David Forrester, and I have been working hard to open our very own winery here in Orlando, Florida. I would like to officially introduce to you Quantum Leap Winery (opening very soon).

At Quantum Leap we are local winery with a global reach and sustainable focus. Meaning we will source our wines from around the world, transport the wine in an environmentally friendly way to Central Florida, where we will finish and blend the wine to our high standards. 

The journey to open the winery has been challenging, thrilling, educational and satisfying. I hope that you will take the time to read our blog, come visit us at the winery, and of course share a glass (or two) of wine with us.

Oh and for those wondering, or even if you weren't - Was the name Quantum Leap inspired from the magnet? I have to admit that it was not, at least not consciously. Instead, we used the following as a filter: 1) find a name we liked, 2) that subtly indicated we wanted to do things differently in the wine industry and 3) wasn't taken already. You would be surprised how hard that entire process was - we are happy with our name and proud to put it on our wines.

Until next time...
Cheers, Jill Ramsier