Wine Holidays this May!
Oregon Wine Month
Michigan Wine Month
Iowa Wine Month
North Carolina Wine Month
May 2nd – International Sauvignon Blanc Day (1st Friday in May)
May 9 – World Moscato Day #MoscatoDay
May 16th International Ezerjó Day
May 17th – Pinot Grigio Day
May 21st – Mourvedre Day
May 22nd – International Chardonnay Day (Thursday before Memorial Day)
May 24th – Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris
May 25th – National Wine Day (US)
Oregon Wine month
With 23 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in Oregon, which span the western part of the state along the rivers and follow the Columbia Gorge, Oregon’s vineyards sport some stunning views.
The Rogue and Applegate Valley AVAs in the south lie in a transitional zone where 4 climate zones meet, and the area has diverse forests containing over 3,500 plant species.
Drive North through the Southern Oregon AVA to the Umpqua Valley, Red Hills Douglas County, and Elton AVAs…
Then, of course, there is the Willamette Valley, on the western side of the Cascade Range, known for its Pinot Noir but with 100 other varieties growing.
It contains 11 nested AVAs, including Lower Long Tom, Mount Pisgah Polk County, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Laurelwood District, Tualatin Hills, Chehalem Mountains, & Yamhill-Carlton.
Then, you can head through Portland to the stunning Columbia Gorge, where Oregon Shares several AVAs with Washington, including the Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley, and Walla Walla Valley AVAs.
Nested in the Walla Walla AVA on the Oregon Side, you will find the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater.
Then, you find the Snake River Valley AVA on the Eastern Border of Oregon, shared with Idaho.
Did you know that 40% of Oregon’s vineyards are certified sustainable?
On top of delicious wine and amazing views, the people are terrific. Pack your bags and go explore Oregon Wine Country this month.
Visit https://www.oregonwine.org/events-programs/oregon-wine-month/ for more information.
Michigan Wine Month
Michigan is the 7th largest producer of wine in the US. They’ve been making wine here commercially since 1868.
The 5 AVAs in Michigan include the Lake Michigan Shore, Fennville, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, and the most recent “Tip of the Mitt” AVA.
You will find over 50 varieties of wine grapes grown here and other fruits made into fruit wines, like cherries and apples.
This year, Taste Michigan and Michigan Wine Month have partnered to create a food and beverage extravaganza!
Head to Michigan and @tastemichiganwine in May.
Iowa Wine Month
Iowa has over 250 vineyards and almost 100 wineries with 2 official AVAs; The Loess Hills District (shared with Missouri) and the Upper Mississippi River Valley (shared with Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin).
Here, they grow over 40 cool-climate varieties of grapes. Many are hybrid varieties, bred to withstand the cold winters, like Brianna, La Crescent, Frontenac Gris, Marquette, and Marechal Foch.
May is Iowa Wine Month, and they are celebrating with Wine Trail Weekends, including tickets to over 20 wineries across the state.
Learn more at https://www.drinkiowawine.com/
North Carolina Wine Month
The Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia are not likely the first place you think of for wine, but North Carolina has 6 AVAs and is producing some fantastic wines.
The Appalachian High Country AVA has vineyards sitting between 2,200 and 4,600 feet. The Crest of the Blue Ridge AVA focuses on European and French-American Hybrid varieties.
The Haw River AVA sits in a valley with 214 frost-free days, perfect for growing grapes. The Swan Creek AVA nested in the Yadkin Valley (North Carolina’s 1st AVA) has microclimates that make the region unique.
The Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, winding along rivers, is known for sweet and off-dry wines.
You can enjoy delicious wines and take in the scenery from the mountains to the coast.
For more information, visit https://ncwine.org/
May 2nd – International Sauvignon Blanc Day (1st Friday in May)
Sauvignon Blanc is enjoyed all over the globe. This grape from France has found a new personality in New Zealand, which began this holiday, which is celebrated on the first Friday in May.
You can enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc from the traditional Sancerre or Puilly-Fumé AOCs of France or perhaps head to the other side of the globe and enjoy a Marlborough Sav Blanc from New Zealand.
https://sauvignonblancday.co.nz/
We’ve written extensively on Sauvignon Blanc. Read on…
- Albana and Sauvignon Blanc from Poggio della Dogana and Ronchi di Castelluccio in Romagna
- Bagna Càuda 2 ways and Sauvignon Blanc
- Sauvignon Blanc with Lamb and Cocoa? #WinePW
- Sauvignon Blanc from the small hamlet of Chavignol in Sancerre
- Day 1 New Zealand McBride Sisters Collection Sauvignon Blanc
- Celebrating Sauvignon Blanc Day at the table with St. Supéry and easy Middle Eastern Dishes #WinePW
May 9th – World Moscato Day
Moscato is the Italian name for Muscat. In Italy, there are several varieties of Muscat, including Moscato di Canelli, the most widely planted and the same variety as Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains in France. In the Piemonte region of Italy, Moscato Bianco is the oldest known variety, and here in the Asti region, they make it into the sweet, fizzy Moscato d’Asti and Moscato d’Asti, which is a low alcohol sweet wine that ages beautifully.
Muscat of Alexandria is also known as Zibibbo in Sicily. The original name speaks to the idea that this grape originally came from Egypt. In Sicily, it is used to make dessert wines made in the “passive” method. The most famous is Passito di Pantelleria, made on the Panterlleria island.
There is a red version of Moscato grown in Lombardia. Moscato di Scanzo is made into a rich sweet wine that is perfect with blue cheese!
More on Moscato…
May 16th International Ezerjó Day
Ezerjó
It means “a thousand blessings.” In Hungarian.
This white grape from Hungary originates in the Mór region, between Budapest and Lake Balaton.
The grape is high and acid with big, dense bunches and thick skin. It is susceptible to frost and botrytis. Under the right conditions, the botrytis or noble rot forms on the berries, creating delicious sweet wines once known as Mór Aszú. These are wines similar to Tokaj Aszú, now the only region allowed to use the Aszú name.
You will also find this grape across the border in Austria, where it is known as “Tausent Güte.” There is also a bit grown in Germany.
May 17th – Pinot Grigio Day
Pinot Grigio. It is the same grape as Pinot Gris in France and Grauburgunder in Germany, but in Northeast Italy, this wine has its own style.
You find it throughout the Italian Regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, otherwise known as the Delle Venezie.
Grigio means “grey,” and this wine is a mutation of Pinot, halfway between Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Watch for an article on various Pinot Grigios from around this region later this month!
More on Pinot Grigio…
May 21st – Mourvèdre Day
Mourvèdre is a deep brooding red grape grown in the Southern Rhone and south of France. It is the rich deep red wine of Bandol. A stout red wine in the land of Rosé in Provençe
Often you find it blended with Grenache and Syrah, making up part of a GSM.
In Spain it is known as Mataro or Monastrell. Unsurprisingly, this heat loving grape thrives here. It is also thriving in Australia!
You might be surprised to find that this grape is finding its way into Texas. In 2017, the Battle of the Texas Mourvèdre was held on May 21st, and the day has now been designated as National Mourvèdre Day.
More on Mourvèdre…
May 22nd – International Chardonnay Day (Thursday before Memorial Day)
Chardonnay has lovers and haters, but this grape is undeniably one of the most popular in the world. Grown around the globe in more than 40 countries, it can be bright, crisp, and minerally as in Chablis, or buttery and ripe like those made famous in California. It is truly a grape that takes on the character of the climate and can be molded by winemakers.
In the US, it is delicious from the cool climate of Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills, as well as from the Willamette Valley of Oregon!
How about some pairings for the different styles?
Roasted chicken with a buttery oaked warm climate Chard or a Petit Chablis with raw oysters.
This is the day to celebrate! Cheers to Chardonnay!
We will celebrate a little early on May 16th with a Zoom Session on “Discovering Chardonnay.” Learn the history of this grape, and dive into the aromas, flavors and some terrific pairings with us!
More on Chardonnay…
May 24th – Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris
This holiday is mainly celebrated in the US. The name is a takeoff on Greek Mythology.
The original Judgment of Paris was a means to get Zeus out of trouble. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite vied for the title of fairest, and Zeus, not wanting to choose himself and be in the bad graces of any of the goddesses, had Paris judge and decide.
Hera promised Paris riches and lands, Athena pledged victory in battle, and Aphrodite promised him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite, which led to him meeting Helen and the Trojan War.
But the “Judgement of Paris” that we celebrate is another and comes historically much later.
Here’s the deal.
Steven Spurrier, a British Wine Merchant, had tasted some wines from off this tiny dirt road in Napa, California. He and a colleague set up a blind tasting in Paris in 1976 with Chardonnays and Bordeaux-style reds from Napa, California, and France. The Judges were all French.
(Steven Spurrier sadly passed in 2021. This whole story can be seen in the movie “Bottle Shock”)
The top wines? For the Chardonnay, the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, and the 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet for the reds, both wines from the Napa Valley. Spurrier, sadly, had bet on the wrong horse, as he only sold French wines in his shop.
So…at this Judgement of Paris, it seems Napa was the fairest!
Celebrate with a wine from Napa! If you can get a Stag’s Leap Cab or a Chateau Montelena Chard, do that! I will mention that the winemaker who made that Chardonnay in 1976 was Mike Grgich, who later opened Grgich Hills in Napa. (Mike Grgich actually just turned 100 on April 1st.)
Curl up on the couch and find “Bottle Shock” on your streaming service.
Cheers!
May 25th – National Wine Day (US)
What’s not to love?
Celebrated each May 25th, this is a day to drink wine. Any wine you like!
It’s a little hazy how this holiday started, but some say it was back in 2009.
This is a US Holiday, and I encourage you to look for smaller US producers! Taste something new to you!
Of course, I won’t get mad if you grab a bottle from somewhere else. There are so many wines from all over the world!
Just promise me you will take a moment to savor whatever you are sipping.
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
Check out our book series, “Tempting Spoonfuls” available through Amazon!
Inspired by the flavors and aromas in wines, these books create “tempting spoonfuls” of flavors to pair with wines.
“Tempting Spoonfuls – Pairing single bites with glorious wines” – Our first book paired wines from boutique wineries on the west coast, in California, Oregon, and Washington, with delicious spoonfuls.
This book is 60 pages, 18 recipes, lots of beautiful photos, and insights into some fantastic small wineries!
“Tempting Spoonfuls – small bites paired with wines from around the Globe” – This book takes us around the globe to explore 12 wine regions, a wine from the region, and then gives you a recipe for a pairing!
A slightly larger book at 104 pages, this time you learn about pairing with a type of wine from a region. Rather than a specific bottle, you can look for a style of wine from a region and feel confident that it will go well with the recipe pairing we provide. We give you 12 recipes, each to pair with a wine.
The goal is to make your mouth water and encourage you to create your own “Tempting Spoonfuls.”
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