CNW 2007 Chenin Blanc

We are fans of Vouvray wines and the principal grape for those wines is Chenin Blanc. We picked up this bottle at Vino 100 in Maumee not knowing quite what to expect in terms of sweetness.

This wine is produced by Wilson Vineyards on Clarksburg, California. Clarksburg has the reputation of being the Chenin Blanc capitol of California. Clarksburg is located west of Sacramento and has a unique microclimate with long hot days cooled by breezes from the Sierras. The grapes come from low yielding old vines which provide intensity to the fruit.

We found it to be refreshingly crisp and dry. Flavors of lemongrass and citrus fruit. This is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. This is a great Quality Price Ratio wine also.

Technorati Tags: wine

Alamos Malbec and Alamos Chardonnay

Remember the Alamos! A friend of mine made this quip as we were sitting down to dinner with a bottle of the Argentinean Malbec from Alamos. It’s not a bad rallying cry when you are looking for very drinkable wines with a high QPR (Quality Price Ratio).

The 2008 Alamos Malbec is dark, almost inky, in color. Malbec is the signature wine of the Mendoza region in Argentina. Malbec is a favorite with us because it isn’t quite as high in tannins, which my wife avoids. She is a relatively new red wine drinker and prefers a more fruit forward style.

  Malbec can deliver what the Green Dragon looks for, but with a complexity and richness that can satisfy anyone who appreciates a nice red.

The nose for the Alamos Malbec shows black berries and a bit of spice. The has a smooth, medium body with flavors of black raspberries and currants with a touch of spiciness and smoke. This wine is aged in both American
and French oak. It also has 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Bonarda (another red Argentinean grape).

The 2008 Chardonnay is a bright golden color. It has a citrus and floral bouquet. The flavor notes are apple and pear with a nice acidity that gives it a bit of a snap. There is a touch of oakiness, but this Chard is more spicy than big and buttery. This may be due to how the wine was finished. The wine is aged for nine months in seasoned French oak, but 10 percent is aged in new French oak to highlight the smokiness.

We paid about $13 for each bottle of the Alamos, which is a great bargain. These are great buys and a nice change from the value California brands.

(I've noticed many people from around the world looking at this post. If you have tried this wine we would like to see your comment. PLEASE COMMENT by clicking on the comment link below. We would love to hear from you.)

del.icio.us Tags: malbec,wine,Argentina

Michigan Beats Ohio State (In Wine Clash 2009)

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Ahead of the legendary gridiron clash, wine lovers in Michigan and Ohio assembled to determine whose wines would triumph in a head-to-head clash. Eleven of the top wines were chosen from each state and judged in both Columbus and Ann Arbor by panels of wine lovers, writers and professionals.

The State of Michigan reigned supreme in 2009 with the overall winning wine (Longview “Winter Ice” 2007) and four of the top five ranked wines. In order of ranking with number of first place votes:

1. Longview Winery and Vineyard “Winter Ice” 2007 (Dessert Wine) Leelanau Peninsula MI (4)
2. 2 Lads Cabernet Franc Reserve 2007 (Dry Red) Old Mission Peninsula MI (2)
3. Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc 2007 (Dry Red) Ohio River Valley OH (2)
4. Gill’s Pier Meritage 2007 (Dry Red) (1)
5. Wyncroft Avonlea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 (Dry Red) MI (1)

Jump to full results table

“I am honored and excited to win this award, our first regional award,” said Alan Eaker of Longview Winery and Vineyard from his vineyards in the middle of 2009’s harvest. “This is a great time for wines and wine lovers.”

The real winners are the consumers of Michigan and Ohio who have an array of quality local wines to enjoy. “The selection process was very hard and rigorous this year with so many quality wines from both states,” said organizer Andrew Hall, “Any of the entrants would be welcome on my table.”

Both Ohio and Michigan share a century-old tradition of viticulture which was wrecked by Prohibition but has re-emerged in recent times. From the Ohio River Valley to the upper shores of Lake Michigan, growers and winemakers are working hard to create unique and quality wines. This event was created in 2008 to showcase these local efforts and in the context of our storied local football rivalry. This is the only purely consumer-selected judging of wines in either state and is limited to wines from grapes grown in their respective state.

“There were a lot of good wines from both states,” commented one of the judges, “and I hope that people will give them a chance. Restaurants and consumers are starting to care a lot about local produce and wines should follow.” Another commented that it was a treat to taste the wines as neither state's distribution system currently offers consumers any wines from the other state.

The event is organized by Andrew Hall, a Columbus-area wine enthusiast and member of the local chapter of Slow Food Nation. Slow Food Columbus is the primary sponsor of the event.

Holiday Open House Set For Sandhill Crane Vineyard in Jackson, MI

A holiday open house is scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 28 Noon to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29., at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, 4724 Walz Road, Jackson, Michigan, (517) 764-0679.

The open house will also be held the weekend of December 12 and 13.

The open houses will feature live music from 2:00 to 5:00 pm each day, holiday treats, a free ornament for all customers, and a 5% discount on all wine-related gifts.

Musicians scheduled to perform:

Saturday, November 28 - Ronnie Chmielewski & Greg Hurley
Sunday, November 29 - Kitty Donohoe & David Mosher
Saturday, December 12 - Rochelle Clark & John Natiw
Sunday, December 13 - BluHott Jam

Photo by Mosaaki Komori

Holiday "Tannenbaum Trail" Tour of Ohio Wineries

Image via Wikipedia

The Ohio Wine Producers Association has announced a fun holiday event for wine lovers with wine, food and good times.

The Tannenbaum Trail is a self driving tour of some outstanding regional wineries. You have three weekends (Fridays & Saturdays-Noon to 6pm) to visit 13 northeast Ohio wineries.

At a designated winery, you will pick up a boxed 15” miniature Christmas tree, that includes ribbon garland and miniature lights. You also receive a Schott Zwiesel crystal wine glass. As you travel from winery to winery you will receive one or two samples of wine and an appetizer per person. You also get an Christmas ornament to trim your tree.


 Tannenbaum Trail weekends are December 4-5, 11-12 and 18-19.The cost is $35 per person and $45 per couple.

Participating wineries are: Biscotti Family Winery and Buccia Vineyards in Conneaut, Debonne Vineyards, Grand River Cellars, Maple Ridge Vineyard and St. Joseph Vineyards in Madison, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Laurello Vineyards, Old Mill Winery, The Winery at Spring Hill and Virant Family Winery in Geneva, Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva-on-the-Lake and Emerine Estates in Jefferson.

For more information, call (800) 227-6972 or purchase your tickets online.

Pasta and South America Featured In Upcoming Wine Tastings

Two interesting wine tastings have been scheduled for December at Toledo restaurants.

The wines of South America will be featured Tuesday, December 1, at Capers Pizza Bar, 2038 S. Byrne Rd, Toledo, (419) 389-9900 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. There will be seven wines paired with seven light courses. The event is very casual and will appeal to beginning wine drinkers as well as the aficionado. Tickets are for sale in advance or at the door.

On Monday, December 7, Gil and Jen Evans will host an Old World wine tasting at their restaurant Pasta Fina, 5931 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, (419) 866-0670. The event is from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. Six wines will be paired with Pasta Fina dishes and appetizers. This event is casual. Tickets are on sale now, or at the door. Reserving your seats now could be a good idea, as space is limited.

Photo by Cane Rosso

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2007

We popped the cork on this Chilean number with a couple of friends. This wine is widely available, not too costly and pairs well with a variety of  foods.

When I originally bought this bottle my eyes were caught by the label on the neck proclaiming 2007 as a historic vintage for Concha y Toro premium red grapes. Due to a confluence of factors (low rain, low temperatures and low yield, the winemakers believe that 2007 is one of their best vintages.

The color of the wine is deep, dark purple.There are flavor notes of dark plum and chocolate with a bit of spice. The wine is oaked, but not overly so.  Deep intense violet-red color. This pairs well with meat, vegetables and pizza.

The founder of this winery in 1891 set aside a special batch of wine. To keep the curious away he started the rumor that the devil lived in the wine cellar, the Casillero del Diablo. A legend was born – and we can enjoy some devilishly good wine today.

Technorati Tags: wine

Large Turnout Enjoys Wine Affair

More than 500 were in attendance on Friday, November 20, to enjoy an elegant evening of wine at the Northwest Ohio Kidney  Foundation’s 18th Annual Wine Affair. The event was hosted by WTOL-TV’s Chrys Peterson.
Wine was provided by 12 distributors:

• 55 Degrees
• Berman
• Bowling Green Beverage
• DJP Selections
• European Wine Imports
• Hammer
• Heidelberg
• Natural-States Wines
• Private Reserve
• Vanguard Wines
• Wines LLC
• Wine Trends

There was a nice selection of food from area restaurants including Kotobuki, La Scola Italian Grill, Poco Piatti/Beirut/Byblos, Mancy’s Blue Water Grille, the Melting Pot and Wixey Bakey.
My wife and I began the evening with a taste of DV Merlot from Private Reserve distributors. This French Merlot is from the Med Atlantic wine region, which I must confess I hadn’t heard of before. It’s always nice to gain a little education – along with a nice glass of wine. We also sampled a nice DV Chardonnay.

One feature that was absent and I hope the Wine Affair has next year is a listing of the featured wines. This would make it easier to plan your tastings and ensure that you don’t miss any special wines.

Tucked in the back corner with a delightful assortment of wines was Michelle Ross of Wines LLC.

One of her offerings was Trinity, a proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and Pinot Noir from South River Vineyards, an Ohio winery in the Geneva area. I found this to be a very enjoyable, light blend. The star of her lineup was a Super Tuscan Orbiao from the Redi Winery in Montepulciano. This had nice blackberry layers and and intense flavor that’s velvety. We also spirited the remains of a bottle of Taft Street Chardonnay back to our table as the evening wound down.

Spiderman, one our tasting panel and dinner companion, always asks those pouring to give us a glass of their most popular wine. It’s a nice way to identify the stars at each table. As we hit the Heidelberg table we were served a nice glass of St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon. This Sonoma wine was ripe, rich and chewy with a round finish.

From Vanguard we really enjoyed the Hey Mambo red bistro wine from The Other Guys, a blend of  Syrah, Barbera, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Malbec, and Alicante Bouchet grapes. This is an interesting blend with plenty of black cherry and leather.

Our friend Cory McQuillan from 55 Degrees was pouring the very nice white Cuvee A from Anne Amie, a Willamette Valley winery in Oregon.

At the Berman table there was a great selection including Gascon Malbec, Las Rocas Grenache and Layer Cake Shiraz. These are three sure to please wines. I love Malbec and the Gascon has a delightful complex flavor at a great Quality Price Ratio. The Las Rocas was a favorite with the Wine Affair crowd. The Layer Cake Shiraz from Australia has dark, dense aromas of berries and provides an explosion of flavor. Tricia Rasar was certainly pouring some tasty selections.

From Bowling Green Beverage, Melissa Crocket provided a nice sample of Tangent Pinot Gris from Edna Valley, California. This was flavored with tropical fruit, stone minerality and had a nice balance.

Our final glass was a wonderful white Bordeaux Chateau des Tuquets 2006. courtesy of Krystal Di Matteo and European Wine Imports. It has a complex aroma of citrus fruits with a crisp acidity. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. I was very surprised that this lists for only $9.99. This is a really wonderful wine.

Due to the large crowd, there were some long lines at registration and the food stations and the dessert disappeared some time before we were able to work our way to it. Since we weren’t participating in the live auction, the evening lost some appeal when the wine stations were shut down for the auction.

However, these are certainly minor points in an truly enjoyable evening. Congratulations and thanks to the planners, sponsors and attendees of this event. Thanks for supporting the very worthy mission of the NWO Kidney Foundation.

Technorati Tags: wine

Wine Tasting & Events: Week of Nov. 23

Wednesday, November 25    
 Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-8 PM, Latest Arrival Wines. $15.

Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving: No wine tastings scheduled. Enjoy some nice wine with your turkey!
Vino 100 Wine Bar, Promenade West, 3355 Briarfield Blvd., Suite C, Maumee – (419) 866-8466. Closed for Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 27  
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). Italian Wines 1. Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, 2. Masciarelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, 3. Felsina Chianti Classico, 4. Uccelliera Rosso. $10 tasting.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. Comfortably Numb. So you survived another thanksgiving? Way to go. Chances are you’re ecstatic that it’s over, or just plain irritable since you knw that this is only the beginning. Either way, you’re filled to the gills. Let’s wind down and relax with some lighter-bodied whites and reds. But make no mistake – wimpy wines need not apply. 6-9 PM. Cost $1 - $3 per glass. 

Saturday, November 21 
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). Italian Wines 1. Maso Canali Pinot Grigio, 2. Masciarelli Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, 3. Felsina Chianti Classico, 4. Uccelliera Rosso. $10 tasting.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000—Blind Tasting of 2005 Bordeaux under $30. Noon to 5 PM. Pay by the sample or for the whole flight.