Bishop’s Stock is often a place that draws artists as they visit the area. Several years ago Carroll Klingelhofer stopped by with the hope of meeting my husband. You see, they are both graduates of Washington & Lee University and fraternity brothers with just a few years between their time in Lexington, Virginia. Introduction made then our conversation moved to Carroll’s work as a representational painter. Shortly after this visit Carroll returned with paintings for us to display and we started talking about a featured show. That show will open on October 6. Included in the show will be landscapes from throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Carroll is a practicing attorney, but he finds himself at his easel almost everyday. His profession does not limit his commitment and time devoted to study, visits to museums and shows, talking with other artists and taking workshops. This is how he has become a quality artist with a talent for capturing the realism nature offers. The show includes changes of season and nocturnal settings.
October’s Featured Artist – Carroll Klingelhofer
October’s Featured Wines – 2016 Blu Giovello Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy & 2014 Villa Pillo Borgoforte, Tuscany, Italy
2016 Blu Giovelll Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy $12
This wine is produced in Friuli, Italy. This white has a crisp acidity in the mouth with an almond-like finish. Before you taste, catch peach, apricot, melon and pineapple for a fruity sweetness on the nose. This is a dry wine that is light and crisp. It is a great pairing for creamed vegetable soups that are a nice fall menu item. Plus the unique blue bottle is easy to find on our shelves! Alcohol: 12%
2014 Villa Pillo Borgoforte, Tuscany, Italy $18
Borgoforte is a classic Tuscan wine. Each year Villa Pillo adds selected wines – Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – to blend for a subtle complexity and richness. Considered a “Super Tuscan,” this has aromas of violet, black currant and rosemary accented by licorice and tobacco flavors. Grapes picked at optimum ripeness ensure a wine which expresses itself in its ripe black fruit components and full body. For smooth body and elegance, the wine is aged in small oak barrels. Wine Spectator named this as #25 in their Top 100 wines of 2016. This is a great wine with pasta, red meats and game of any kind. Alcohol: 13.5%
September Featured Artists – Christie Taylor & Fred Sprock
During September Bishop’s Stock is featuring two artists who moved to the Snow Hill area several years ago. When Christie Taylor and Fred Sprock discovered Worcester County’s proximity to coastal bays and adjacent marshes they knew this was where they wanted to build a home and settle into Eastern Shore life. One of the driving forces in this move was to create studio space for each of them in a setting surrounded by the landscape they love.
Both Christie Taylor and Fred Sprock call themselves “landscape artists” but that is about as close as they get with their unique painting disciplines and techniques. Several years ago Christie, an art consultant, returned to painting to focus on the beauty of the salt marshes surrounding their home. Christie does studies in acrylic on paper and creates oils on panels – all that reflect a time and place that constantly changes with time of day and season. Her painting style “utilizes” the freedom nature holds over marshland and gives her a chance to “escape” to her studio.
Fred Sprock is a full time painter who is quite disciplined. He considers himself a landscape artist who scouts compelling imagery that ranges from a dying tree to the architectural interest of a farm house. When a subject or image catches his eye he takes photographs to use as references. He returns to his studio and does studies that may or may not become larger studio paintings. Even his still life paintings he considers “landscapes” since they are part of a smaller setting. His paintings have a luminescence he gets from layering paint many times with palette knives, scraping off to leave depth then finishing 10% of the painting with brushes.
September Featured Wines – 2016 Dio Fili Xinomavro Rose, Macedonia, Greece & 2016 Ktima Mitravelas “Red on Black,” Peloponnese, Greece
2016 Dio Fili Xinomavro Rose, Macedonia, Greece $10
We are offering 2016 Dio Fili Xinomavro Rose, a rose made from Xinomavro and Moschomavro. This is among the top 10 most highly rated Macedonia – Greece wines (based on critic scores.) It is a rich and fruity wine that that has a touch of red currant and cranberry. The palate is fruit forward with subtle shades of berry and citrus. The finish is refreshing and berry laden. This is a nice “end of summer” wine. Alcohol: 12.5%
2016 Ktima Mitravelas “Red on Black,” Peloponnese, Greece $13
2016 Ktima Mitravelas “Red on Black” from Nemea, Peloponnese is this month’s red selection This is made from 100% Agiorgitiko grapes. The vineyards are situated in the middle Nemea where the soil structure is a mixture of Clay, limestone and sandy soils. This wine has a fruity upfront palate and soft in the middle. It will benefit with a slight chill especially in the summer months. Drink on its own or with food. Alcohol: 1
August Featured Artists – Barb Mowery & Carole Boggemann Peirson
In August we will be showing the work of 2 wonderful artists whose work we first discovered through Paint Snow Hill. Barbara Mowery was once a Worcester County resident but she now lives in Lusby in Southern Maryland and Carole Boggemann Peirson lives in Townsend on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We like the idea of having talented artists from both sides of the Chesapeake showing their unique painting styles and different influences.
Mowery is calling her work in the show Close to Home. With 2 little girls and a busy life she took advantage of imagery near her home to create a series of suburban landscape paintings. With her contemporary style she calls these paintings a “welcome to her world.” To give a sense of her neighborhood Barb actually created a coloring sheet for children (and adults with time on their hands) to unleash their own talent. To find out more about Mowery’s work check Barb Mowery Art on Facebook.
Peirson is showing a selection of her landscapes that focus on capturing changing light. For the show she calls this Chasing the Light to show how light becomes a focal point in both plein air studies and studio work. Living on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and traveling in the Mid-Atlantic area offers wonderful imagery for Peirson to capture with changing light and atmosphere. Learn more about Peirson on her website.
August Featured Wines – 2016 Seaside Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Coastal South Island New Zealand & 2014 Seaside Cellars Pinot Noir, Coastal South Island, New Zealand
2016 Seaside Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand $14
The Sauvignon Blanc grapes for this wine are used from Coastal vineyards on the South Island. This wine has fresh flavorful style and a clean crisp palate with ripe tropical fruits. It has mouth-watering acidity and hints of mineral taste. Wine Spectator gave this Sauvignon Blanc 87. Serve well chilled for a refreshing summer white wine. Alcohol: 13%
2014 Seaside Cellars Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand $14
For this Pinot Noir grapes are used from a number of South Island coastal vineyards.This wine is elegant and cool with savory characteristics, bittersweet chocolate and notes of dark cherries and strawberries. It is fragrant, soft and flavorful with hints of earthiness. This vintage received 90 from Wine Spectator as a Top Value Elegant Wine. This a a medium weight wine perfect for summer foods. Alcohol: 12.5%
July Featured Artist – Mary Pritchard
Our featured artist in July is Mary Pritchard who came to us through Paint Snow Hill over 10 years ago. Many will recall Mary’s beautiful pastels of landscapes and farm buildings. Her plein air paintings are truly small studies she then uses for larger studio paintings. In this show Free Boat is from a Snow Hill study done a few years ago. Other paintings in the show are the result of Mary’s journeys away from her home in Chestertown. They are inspired by fields and streams of the Eastern Shore, Maine’s rocks and waves, and barns and rivers of Nova Scotia. To learn more about her current work check MaryPritchardArt.
July Featured Wines -2015 Maison Nicolas Sauvignon Blanc & 2015 Maison Nicolas Merlot, Languedoc Roussillon, France
2015 Maison Nicolas Sauvignon Blanc, Cotes de Gascogne, France $10
This French white has a wonderful smooth balance with crisp acidity that is characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in this region of France. Ripe peach, pear and apple are predominant flavors in this dry wine. Serve icy cold with summer seafood and you will understand why this wine is a great buy from Cotes de Gascogne.Alcohol: 11.5%
2015 Maison Nicolas Merlot, Pays d’Oc, France $10
This Merlot is a well-balanced single varietal wine that comes from the Vin de Pays d’Oc appellation. It has a rich color and is packed full of jammy flavors with notes of plum and currant. This is a round and supple wine with smooth tannins. Consider this wine for simple summer picnics with chicken and lighter meats. Alcohol: 12.5%
This month we are offering wines produced by Maison Nicolas in Languedoc-Rousillon, France. We have had other wines from this region but they have been classic blends. July’s selections are single varietals – Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.
June Featured Artist – C. Keith Whitelock
When June arrives we all seem to turn our thoughts to the water that surrounds us so it seems the perfect time to feature the work of C. Keith Whitelock, a well-known marine artist. This Eastern Shore native captures working boats in the open bay, bay side marshes, and waterfront docks. The fine details in Whitelock’s realistic images are of a rapidly disappearing lifestyle of working boats, small villages and derelict structures. It is always exciting to see what part of the vanishing landscape he has found to paint. This year he has returned to oil and acrylic for a number of paintings. The opening reception is Friday, June 2 from 5 until 8. Whitelock will also be our Artist-in-Residence on Saturday, June 17.
June Featured Wines – 2016 Mapreco Vinho Verde Rose, Minho, Portugal & 2014 Quinta da Alorna, Cardal Red, Tejo, Portugal
2016 Mapreco Vinho Verde Rose, Minho, Portugal $11
2016 Mapreco Vinho Verde Rose may confuse your understanding of Vinho Verde or “green” wines from the cool and damp Minho Region in the north west above Porto. We have featured another Mapreco Vinho Verde that is a white blend. The 2016 Mapreco Rose is made from dark skinned Espadeiro grapes which are primarily used for “green” wines. This is a lovely blush wine with aromas and tastes of red currant and fresh fruits with some acidity and a finish with a refreshing effervescence. Slight sweetness is balanced by the wine’s acidity. This is an excellent pairing for lobster and shellfish. Alcohol: 10.5%
2014 Quinta da Alorna, Cardal Vino Tinto, Tejo, Portugal $10
2014 Quinta da Alorna, Cardal Red comes from from the Teho Region which is just east of Lisbon. This is a warm, dry region that to the Portuguese means the land of vineyards, olive groves, cork forests, Mertolengo cattle, and the famous Lusitano horses. This wine is made from Touriga Nacional, Castelão, and Trincadeira grapes. Ripe red fruit aromas such as plums and floral hints come from the Touriga. This is a full-bodied wine with soft tannins. I suggest letting it breathe to open the fullness. Consider this as a great pairing for grilled meat. Alcohol: 13%
