Anatomy of a Wine Tasting Disaster

FINGER LAKES REPORT – As we continued on in our wine tasting travels on the west side of Seneca Lake, the afternoon was winding down. This is bad news for wine tasters, because Finger Lakes wineries typically end their tastings at 5 p.m.

We were running out of time and knew we wouldn’t reach some of our planned destinations at the south end of the lake. However, as luck would have it, we were very close to the Shaw Vineyard tasting room. I thought this would be a great opportunity. I had tried a Shaw Pinot Noir with my meal at the Village Tavern the day before as a flight of Pinots. It was great. Shaw has a reputation for hand crafting some wonderful Pinot Noirs.

Little did I know what was in store.

We rolled in to the gravel parking lot and walked inside the very unassuming and small tasting room. Really. it was more like a storage shed. However, I thought, this could be very cool – being right in the midst of a small production wine operation. Wine barrels were all around and there could be a very interesting story here.

How wrong I was.

There are three components to a great wine tasting: 1. Great locale/facility, 2. Great staff, and 3. Great wines. The location wasn’t much, but perhaps the staff would change first impressions. Uhh… no.
Our server very quickly volunteered that he didn’t know much about wine. He then said he went “to a wine tasting once and didn't like it.” Hmmm. A great way to warm up the crowd (which was only the four of us). We continued the banter to be friendly. He next offered up that this was his first day on the job and it became obvious that he had no knowledge about Shaw wines.

This was apparently going to be our last tasting of the day – it was almost five – so we overcame our impulse to rush out the door. We paid the $3 fee and planned on enjoying some nice tastes. This led to one of the crazier parts of the tasting. I asked to try the Gewürztraminer, and the server asked me to show him which bottle it was! He was standing behind the bottles and apparently couldn’t be bothered to turn the bottle around to read the label.

It was a long day of tasting, so Green Dragon and I had been sharing tastings at some of the last wineries (somebody’s got to be able to drive). At most wineries, you get a 2 ounce tasting portion. Most will gladly pour you another taste of your favorite, because you’ll probably buy a bottle.

Our host again was full of surprises. The tasting was so miniscule that I probably inhaled more than I was able to swallow. If it was 1/2 ounce, I would be shocked. I’d like to be able to describe the layers of flavors to you – but the amount was insufficient.

This was just a disappointing experience and if repeated with other customers could really dampen the winery’s reputation.

 I tasted four wines. The Gewürztraminer was not as spicy as I like. The Dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc I rated as OK. I was looking forward to the  Keuka Hill Reserve. I was only able to rate this as OK, because I didn’t have enough of a sample to be able to tell.

Hopefully this was just an off day (way off) because Shaw produces some nice wines. Steve Shaw has been growing grapes for the finest wineries in the Finger Lakes for more than 25 years. He has an artisan winemaking approach and all wine is cellar aged.

Finger Lakes: Anthony Road Wine Company

FINGER LAKES REPORT – Continuing south on our Seneca Lake winery swing, we stopped next at the Anthony Road Wine Company. Green Dragon and I had stopped here last year and really enjoyed the place. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the gardens and the grounds. This year was a somewhat different different story. It was rainy and the tasting room was quite full. 

The philosophy of Anthony Road is to produce excellent wines for “the everyday enjoyment of life.” The vineyards were planted in 1973 and Anthony Road began wine production in a small barn in 1989.Anthony Road has a beautiful tasting room, landscaped gardens and is a true “grape to bottle” operation with all winemaking, bottling, labeling and storage handled on-site.

The first selection was the Devonian White, a light dry blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cayuga. It had a subtle fruit flavor and was nice, but lacked body.

Next up was a very refreshing 2008 Dry Riesling with puckering acidity and notes of apple and citrus. This was a winner.

Batting in the third position was a 2008 Rose of Cabernet Franc, which was crisp and refreshing with berry notes. This was tasty.

Glorious T and Spiderman were impressed with the Devonian Red, another casual sipper with great QPR (quality price ratio). It has overtones of black cherry, vanilla and mocha. A highlight for me was a tasting of the 2006 Tierce. This is a Dry Riesling team-made by winemakers at Anthony Road, Fox Run and Red Newt wineries. It is an exceptional wine sure to delight all Riesling lovers. It packs a lemony punch with Gala apple notes.

The tasting is a very reasonable $1 cost and the tasting room is airy and enjoyable. We missed being able to stroll the grounds. That and the dreary weather made this visit a notch below last year.

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Viking Vineyards & Winery, Kent, Ohio

A trip to West Virginia resulted in a happy detour to Viking Vineyards in Kent, Ohio. Co-owned by Jeff and Dana Nelson, the winery is a short hop from I-76 or the Kent State campus. Not only are tastings available, but entertainment is featured. For example, On Sunday, November 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., Tequila Bob and the Flip Flops will be performing. A menu featuring sandwiches, cheese plates and snacks is also available.

The winery is off the beaten path and accessed via a one-lane private drive. Directions are available on the Web site, but our GPS enabled us to zip from Kent State to Viking Vineyard in a matter of minutes.

We arrived just after the sun went down, but there was still enough light to see the beautiful grounds, which includes a small lake with a fountain and plentiful lakeside seating. The tasting room is a good size and nicely decorated.

Tastings are available for 50 cents each, but I would suggest the flights. There are two dry flights (white/red and blush/red), a semi-dry flight and a semi-sweet/sweet flight.
Viking will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on Friday, November 6th with an open house. Grapes were first planted in May 1999 and the winery opened on November 5th of the same year. In addition to the tasting room, a private party room is available for rent for parties and meetings.

The winery currently bottles 4,000 gallons of wine and there are 17 wines on their wine list, including Vidal Blanc Ice Wine and Late Harvest Vidal Blanc. Jeff has also won numerous Gold, Silver and Bronze medals over the past 9 years at both the Ohio Wine Competition and at the Indy International Wine Competition.
We started our tasting with the Dry Riesling. This is an Alsace-style Riesling with a hint of citrus. This was satisfying, but not our top pick.

The Midnight Sun dry blush is a combination of Chardonnay and Chambourcin. This was very good with a flavor of fresh berries.

My wife and I enjoy Vidal Blanc and have sampled Ohio Vidal Blanc at the Quarry Hill winery. Viking’s Vidal is a simple wine with flavor notes of peach and stone. This wine won a silver medal at the Ohio Wine Competition. It is enjoyable.

The Cabernet Sauvignon has an earthy nose and flavor. Green Dragon is not a fan of wines with high tannins, but this Cab was very enjoyable. Ohio wine judges agree with me, by the way, as this wine has won an Ohio Wine Competition gold.

North Star is a tasty blend of Syrah and Sangiovese with a deep, rich color. It is a fruit forward wine with smoothness and a scent of strawberries. This is very nice.

There were two “aha” moments during our tasting. The first was when we tasted the Chambourcin. This was soft, smooth and with the interesting blend of vanilla and cherry flavors. It is aged in French oak and is just a very nice and interesting wine. The cost is only $13.49 and is a great buy (which is what we did). We stopped on our way to a cabin getaway with friends, but Green Dragon gave me instructions that we were to make sure that we saved the wine until we returned home!

As we were preparing to hit the road, Jeff provided a sample of Red Kiss, one of their most popular wines. This is a blend of red wine and chocolate. The aroma alone is like a box of candy. This is best enjoyed as a dessert wine and special treat.

April through December the winery is open  5 to 9 Tuesday through Thursday, Noon to 11 on Friday and Saturday and 1 to 8 on Sunday. Viking Vineyards and Winery is a gem you will certainly enjoy. Plan on a visit soon.

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Save The Date: Wine Affair November 20

The 18th annual Wine Affair fundraiser to benefit the Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio will be held 6:30 p.m. Friday, November 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons in Perrysburg. The event, titled “Through the Drinking Glass,” will be hosted by Chrys Peterson of WTOL-TV.

The honorary chairman is Robert LaClair, President and CEO of Fifth Third Bank of Northwest Ohio. All of the proceeds will stay in northwest Ohio to help the Foundation empower patients to manage kidney disease through patient assistance programs.

Grazing stations will feature appetizers from top area restaurants including Kotobuki, LaScola Italian Grill, Mancy’s Bluewater Grille, Poco Piatti, Beirut, Byblos, The Melting Pot and Wixey Bakery. Silent and live auctions will also be part of the evening. Artist Robert Schira will paint and frame watercolors which will be sold during the auction. Musical entertainment will be provided by pianist Gayle McClellan.

Funds raised during the Wine Affair will help continue patient assistance programs such as dialysis transportation, temporary financial assistance with renal medications, proper renal nutrition, medical supplies as well as help during emergency situations.

Tickets are $85 prior to October 31 and $95 afterward. For tickets or more information call (419) 329-2353 or e-mail sevans@kfnwo.org.

Photo by Phillip Ingham

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Groth Sauvignon Blanc 2007

A late dinner meeting at the Juniper Restaurant in the Fairmont Washington D.C. proved a great opportunity to try this Sauv Blanc with an entree of Chesapeake Bay crab cakes.

It was a mild October evening and we could view diners enjoying their meals outside in the courtyard, lit with Christmas lights. Juniper prides itself on American comfort food with a twist, using local produce and organic ingredients.

The Groth seemed less intense than the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, although with a nice melon and citrus flavor. The wine had a lush taste and lingering finish, which matched with with my seafood dish. This is a Napa Valley wine.

I had ample time to reflect on this as my departure time was pushed back and back and back at Reagan National Airport!