Miguel A. Nistal

8.9

Not as good as a brunello but way less expensive. Very nice wine to drink with unsophisticated college kids — 11 years ago

with Dom

Juan Cardona

9.3

Today we are celebrating Andrea's college graduation. She was born in 1993, I feel this appropriate for drinking today! — 11 years ago

Sue Mohle

9.2

Walter Clore center — 12 years ago

Robert Shannon

8.9

A flash from our college days in 1970's — 12 years ago

with Philip

Nicole Abib

8.9

Nice and light — 12 years ago

with Cat

Brooks Winery

Managing Director Brooks Winery

9.8

College send off of our neighbor! First kid of the rat pack to take off. Must....drink...yummy....stuff! — 13 years ago

Marisa Puga-Aldax

9.6

Proceeds from sales go to help women go to college — 13 years ago

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

9.3

This one could easily go 50 years. Tannins have subsided somewhat, but it's still remarkably primary. Wish I had another to stash away. One of my favorite PS/Zin Vineyards. Went great with ribs and the last college football game of the year. — 11 years ago

Kevin Mahoney

9.2

My favorite wine I've had so far. Granted I'm a college kid so my wines have been limited to under $30, but I could drink this all night. Very easy to drink compared to similar priced wines I've had. — 11 years ago

Christine Havens

9.2

Fermentation and aging in concrete is gaining traction in the US, when I studied enology in college, concrete tanks weren't discussed as a method, which is too bad, because of the substantial impacts to texture and purity of fruit. Keplinger's use of concrete in this Rhône white blend is one
such success. Ripe Bosc pear, white peach and honeysuckle on the nose. Full and lush in the mouth with a silky, creamy texture. Acidity lends balance and length. Papaya, lime zest and lanolin notes on the finish. — 12 years ago

BrixChick Liza

9.6

Now for the sta barbara Mourvèdre You can find in Wikipedia under Soulful , Delicious and Authentic Perfumey exotic aroma. midpalate of blackberry and finish of college romance — 12 years ago

Nicholas Young

10

Wonderful!! Not too sweet — 13 years ago

Mike Mighetto Hoefling

9.7

Wow Napa Valley College makes some good wine! 2008 Cab, nice acid, complex, and 12.8%! Nice — 13 years ago

Paul Karroum

10

Best wine at Manhattan College — 13 years ago

Eric Gardner

9.0

Nice magnum to sip on with friends while watching college football playoffs. Elwood Dog approves. — 11 years ago

Tyler Macdonald

9.4

Champagne, gelato, college football, and camo mocs. I believe the French created champagne for this reason. — 11 years ago

with Zack

R Houle

8.9

Skeptical but I really enjoyed it. Mocha and smooth low acid and quite pleasant — 12 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

10

Won best in its class at the SF Chronicle wine competition! Fantastic wine!
— 12 years ago

Arpad Molnar

9.7

Purchased at Trappiste / college ave — 12 years ago

Joe Carroll

Owner/Wine Director Spuyten Duyvil, Fette Sau, St. Anselm & Gotham Artisanal Provisions

9.5

Jean Van Roy's amazing story of Zwanze 2013. When we started renovation works in the cellars of the brewery two years ago, much to our surprise we came upon the remains of some very old walls. In agreement with the medievalists of the city of Brussels, the works were stopped in order to allow archaeological excavations to take place.

Shortly thereafter we were astonished to find out that Cantillon brewery had in fact been built on the ruins of the very ancient Abbey of Cureghem! According to the medievalists, this religious community was well-known during the middle ages for its fowl fed on draff and, more specifically, for its dish of stuffed Cureghem capon, which was served with a beer brewed at the abbey and apparently drew pilgrims from all over Europe.

Yet it was truly a heavenly surprise when the excavations uncovered the cell of the abbot, Father Faro. In the small room the archaeologists found quite a few old reference books, one of which contained the original recipes for the beers brewed at the abbey several hundred years ago. We didn’t hesitate for a second and decided on the spot to recreate one of these mythical beers.

This beer, which will be our Zwanze for 2013, therefore bears the name of its illustrious place of origin, Abbaye de Cureghem (Cureghem Abbey). Cureghem was formerly a village established many centuries ago on the banks of the Senne, the river running through present-day Brussels. The area was very heavily industrialised during the 19th century and, among other things, became home to many breweries. Today, it is part of the municipality of Anderlecht.

Since beers commonly referred to as “abbey beers” are not, or not any longer, products of spontaneous fermentation, we decided to brew a top fermentation beer, from a technical point of view in any case. The yeasts were selected in collaboration with Institut Meurice, a post-secondary college in Brussels specialising in biotechnology. Brewed in March 2012, our “Cureghem” beer fermented four weeks in stainless steel tanks before being blended with 10% lambic and pumped into 400-litre barrels of various origins. After maturing for six months, the beers were blended and put into casks or bottles to undergo re-fermentation and reach 7.2% ABV (Alcohol by Volume).

Inevitably, a top fermentation beer brewed in a spontaneous fermentation environment will be affected by the wild yeasts in the air, and this is certainly what happened in our case. For our Cureghem, the cultured yeasts were clearly the main factor behind primary fermentation and I think that the wild yeasts in the beer will instead play an increasingly important role as the product ages. However, despite the addition of the lambic to give it a little “extra something” in terms of character and ageing characteristics, this Zwanze cannot in any case be considered a spontaneous fermentation beer.

The long fermentation period coupled with the presence of wild yeasts lends this beer a solid character with a dry finish that lingers on the palate, while the combined use of fresh and aged hops yields both freshness and bitterness. Moreover, the different malts used give this year’s Zwanze a coppery colour along with a touch of caramel and candied fruit that provide body. Clearly, this is not your standard “abbey” beer but, perhaps, it is representative of what these beers were one or two hundred years ago — 13 years ago