Toast of Ohio Wine Heritage Festival Scheduled Aug. 12-14

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SANDUSKY — Just like the miles of vineyards in the Lake Erie shores and islands region, the always-popular Toast of Ohio Wine Heritage Festival is growing. To celebrate the area’s heritage as the largest wine-producing region in the nation prior to Prohibition, the traditionally one-day event on the shores of Lake Erie is expanding to three days of wine tasting, gourmet food eating and art show shopping.

The wine festivities begin Thursday, Aug. 12, with a wine-tasting cruise aboard the Goodtime I, where passengers will enjoy a leisurely sight-seeing cruise on Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie and witness a spectacular sunset. The cruise departs the Jackson Street Pier at 7 p.m. and returns to port at 9 p.m. The cruise is sponsored by Specialty Wines, and will feature Italian imports. Wine selections are included in the cost; tickets for cruise are just $25 per person and can be purchased at the Lake Erie Shores and Islands Welcome Center. Hors d’ouvres will be provided by Creative Cuisine.

The festivities kick into high gear on Friday, Aug. 13, and Saturday, Aug. 14, at the waterfront Sandusky Bay Pavilion (605 E. Water St., Sandusky) with the official Toast of Ohio Wine Heritage Festival, now in its seventh year. This event features 12 Ohio wineries, gourmet food, live musical entertainment and an artist’s showcase. The festival grounds will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and noon to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Admission is $5 per person and includes a souvenir Toast of Ohio wine glass and two complimentary wine tastings. Patrons who visit the festival Friday can bring their 2010 glass back to the event on Saturday for free admission. Admission fees benefit the sponsoring museums: the Maritime Museum of Sandusky and Merry-Go-Round Museum.

Tickets will be available to purchase for exchange of wine tastings and food purchases. Wine tasting tickets are four for $3 and glass pours will vary by vendor. Food offerings will range from $1 to $5. Ticket packages — including a combination of food tickets and wine tickets — also will be available for purchase ranging from $5 to $20. The $20 package includes admission, glass, 10 food tickets and 10 wine tastings. Wine related merchandise and souvenirs will be sold separately.

A variety of musical entertainment and family fun activities will occur throughout the festival. The Maritime Museum of Sandusky and the Merry-Go-Round Museum will host tours and activities.

The Lake Erie shores and islands once featured huge vineyards that spread from east of Sandusky to the western region near the bay because of the lakeshore climate. The Toast of Ohio event was developed to celebrate the area’s winemaking heritage. Today, dozens of wineries still operate in the region.

Participating wineries include: Ferrante Winery, Firelands Winery, Hermes Vineyards, Maize Valley Winery, Matus Winery, Meier's Wine Cellars, Mon Ami Historic Winery, Myrddin Winery, Quarry Hill Winery, St. Joseph Vineyard, Stoney Ridge Winery, and Viking Winery.

Other event sponsors include Ohio Grape Industries, Ohio Magazine, Lake Erie Shores & Islands-East Welcome Center and the City of Sandusky.

Wine Drinkers: Beware The "Imbibing Idiot"

Scott Rick and Maurice Schweitzer could shake your world. The two professors will present research later this week that could, well, make you look like an idiot.

Rick, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, and Schweitzer, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, will present their research paper during the Academy of Management meeting in Montreal August 7-10. Their topic? Something that could frighten us all: the imbibing idiot bias.

The researchers found that in a series of experiments, more than 610 middle managers who read a résumé and viewed a photo of a hypothetical job applicant would be significantly less likely to hire if they were told the candidate ordered wine before dinner than if they were told the job-seeker ordered a soft drink.

In another experiement, student participants in a study who served as interviewers in a campus pub were given three questions to ask about a younger students' work background, the answers to which the undergraduates had committed to memory. The interviewee drank either soda or a non-alcoholic beverage that looked like beer, taking a sip each time the interviewer asked a question but giving the same answers no matter what they were drinking.

The result: Even though most of the interviewers were drinking beer, they rated the interviewees who appeared to be drinking beer significantly less suitable to hire even though the answers for all candidates were identical.

According to Rick and Schweitzer, there is an implicit association between alcohol and impaired thinking that they term the "imbibing idiot bias." The connection is stronger than most people expect and it isn't because your thinking is actually impaired by that glass or Merlot.

At Toledo Wines and Vines we're about to launch our own research project. I can tell you what the results will be beforehand. Wine drinkers will be found to have a zest for life, an appreciation for the finer things and be the definition of coolness. We plan on celebrating the research results with a glass of magificent wine! (Please don't say this confirms the results of the first study...)

Photo by Marty Fameless

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Visit to Michigan Lakeshore Wineries and Indiana's Satek Winery

Our wine correspondents Josh and Casey Kessler are at it again with another great report of their trip to five Michigan Lakeshore wineries and one in Indiana. Pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy!

Casey and I spent the last half of last week in South Haven, MI for our annual vacation with her family. Boy are there some great wineries out there! I believe there are about 12 wineries on the tour, but we were only able to get to five of them. I thought I'd share a quick rundown of our experience while there....


Domaine Berrien Cellars:

This place had the best selection of any one we visited. I was really surprised to see Viognier on their list. I'm told they are the only winery in Michigan to grow both Viognier and Marsanne. Although the Viognier was on the dry white list, I thought it was lightly sweet; similar to a semi-dry Riesling. I'm not quite sure why I didn't buy a bottle of this because it was wonderful. I took home bottles of Lemberger (not one you see too often either) and a bottle of 2007 Wolf's Prairie Red. This is another unique bottle, as it contains an oaked, fruity blend of deChaunac and Chelois grapes. Very good!

Lemon Creek Winery:
Here I tried several of the usual reds: Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. All were great wines. I took home a bottle of Lighthouse White because I enjoy a semi-sweet wine made from Seyval Blanc grapes. I really wanted to sample the 2007 Moon Shadow ice wine, but they were not sampling it that day.. This is the only known ice wine in the country made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Round Barn Winery and Brewery:

Everyone enjoys free tastings, but here you get a lot for your $7.50 charge. You are given a tasting glass, 6 tastes, a token for a refund of your tasting price if you purchase 3 or more bottles, a token for a free taste in the brewery, and a shot of their own diVine vodka made from grapes! This vodka beat Grey Goose in a taste test. Here we took home a bottle each of their semi-sweet red and white blends; the Redel Doux and the Edel Doux.

Free Run Cellars:

This winery is owned by the same family as Round Barn. The charge and all of the perks are the same, except you can use them in either place. The tastings were free because we already had a glass from Round Barn. Casey bought three bottles at Round Barn to get our money for tastings back, and I used my token here to purchase three more bottles. It wasn't about getting the money back, we thoroughly enjoyed their wine! This was the only winery in Michigan that I've seen Zinfandel. I know this area (Berrien Springs) has one of the best climates in the midwest for growing vinifera grapes, but I don't know if they are grown locally or not. The highlight here for me was the Syrah.

Fenn Valley Winery:

Towards the end of the week, we made our usual trip to Fenn Valley. This has been our favorite winery for a few years now. They have been around since the early 1970's, so they have a little more experience than the others. I called a week ahead of time to schedule an extended tour. They sell out quickly. This involves riding a wagon around the vineyard and sampling 11 different wines in a provided tasting glass, all for $8! As you tour the vineyard, a stop is made at the site of each varietal and one can sample a wine from that grape. Last year the reds were sampled in the cellar, with some being tasted directly from the barrels with a "thief". This year the whole tour was in the vineyard. It was an all-around wonderful experience. I purchased several bottles here because everything is good! The shining star seemed to be the Capriccio, which is a blend of 85% Chambourcin and 15% Cab Franc for a little extra finish. Awesome stuff!

Satek Winery:

Lastly, we detoured home and ended up at Satek Winery in Fremont, IN. We got caught in a heavy backup in Battle Creek, so being the impatient person that I am, I decided to take an alternate route home. Route 69 took us to Fremont. I remember telling Casey, "You know, there is another good little winery here that I've been hearing about." We took a wrong turn off the interstate, and right there in front of us was a sign for Satek. I said it must be fate, so we stopped in. They were very generous, allowing ten pours. Growing many varietals of grapes in this area is a little more challenging, thus their grapes come from all over, but mostly close to home in the midwest. I was very impressed with the Merlot, but I just had to get a bottle of the Chambourcin. This has become one of my favorites. After all of our visits, it wasn't easy fitting almost two cases of wine in the car with all of our luggage :)

We've gotten to enjoy a lot of wine experiences this summer, so I like to pass them on.

Josh and Casey we're glad you did!

Wine Tastings & Events: Week of August 2, 2010

Wednesday, August 4

Anderson's Market, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8:00 PM.

Picnic Wines -- Great wines to go with classic picnic fare: 1. Alianca Vino Verde, 2.  Domaine de la Fruitiere Muscadet “Petit M,”  3. Uvaggio Barbera Rosato, 4.  Routestock Cellars Pinot Noir.  Flight $6.50.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-8 PM. Covington Cellars Tasting.  Taste over $250 worth of Washington Wine and meet Morgan Lee, winemaker from Covington Cellars.  $15 per person. Featuring: 1. 2009 Covington Cellars Viognier, 2. 2007 II Vintners "Lola" - red Meritage blend, 3.  2007 Covington Cellars "Prima Miscela" Super Tuscan Blend, 4.  2006 Covington Cellars Malbec,  5. 2008 II Vintners Zinfandel,  6. 2007 Covington Cellars Cab Franc, 7.  2007 Covington Cellars Cab Sauv, 8. 2006 Covington Cellars "Artisan Series" Cab Sauv. 

Thursday, August 5

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Wines of the Tour de France featuring the White Bordeaux. 1. Mouton Cadet, 2.

Chateau Des Tuquet’s, 3. Chateau Lamothe de Haux, 4.
Chateau des Tourtes. $6 per flight.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. No wine tasting this week. Wine department being relocated.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-8 PM. Covington Cellars, Washington State. $15.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Dog Days, Etc.: This is Ohio. It's hot in August. Really hot. I saw somewhere that it's supposed to be north of ninety all this week. Well, I can't think of a better place to cool off than Corks. We'll have the A/C blasting, and you know we'll be popping the best wines, all guaranteed to chill you out. $1 to $3 per sample.

Friday, August 6

Special Event: Wine by the Glass Pavilion, Toledo Museum of Art. 7:00 – 9:30 PM. Drop-in wine tasting: Perfect Pairings. Enjoy four wines, light snacks and a view of the Glass Pavilion Hot Shop. $15 members, $20 non-members.

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Unwooded Chardonnays: 1. Travis Unfiltered, 2. Razor's Edge, 3. Mossback "Russian River,” 4. Norton Ridge Late Harvest. $10 tasting.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Dog Days, Etc.: This is Ohio. It's hot in August. Really hot. I saw somewhere that it's supposed to be north of ninety all this week. Well, I can't think of a better place to cool off than Corks. We'll have the A/C blasting, and you know we'll be popping the best wines, all guaranteed to chill you out. $1 to $3 per sample.

Saturday, August 7
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Unwooded Chardonnays: 1. Travis Unfiltered, 2. Razor's Edge, 3. Mossback "Russian River,” 4. Norton Ridge Late Harvest. $10 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville, Wine Tasting. 1-3 PM. Saturday tasting: 1. Mumm Napa 2008 Chardonnay, 2. Pacific Rim 2009 Sweet Riesling, 3. Cascabel 2002 Grenache Spain, 4. Barefoot Sweet Red. Nominal fee per sample or $1.50 per flight.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. Noon to 5:00 p.m. Pay by the sample or flight.

[Information on tastings can be sent to TWAV@ATT.NET.]

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Covington Cellars Tasting Scheduled At Beer & Wine Cave

The Beer & Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221, will welcome winemaker Morgan Lee from Woodinville, Washington, micro-winery Covington Cellars during their Wednesday, August 4, tasting. Cost per person is $15 and the tasting is scheduled 6:00 to 8:00 PM.  This is your chance to taste more than $250 worth of Washington wine and chat with the winemaker.

Here is the lineup:

• 2009 Covington Cellars Viognier
• 2007 II Vintners "Lola" - red Meritage blend
• 2007 Covington Cellars "Prima Miscela" Super Tuscan Blend  
• 2006 Covington Cellars Malbec  
• 2008 II Vintners Zinfandel  
• 2007 Covington Cellars Cab Franc  
• 2007 Covington Cellars Cab Sauv  
• 2006 Covington Cellars "Artisan Series" Cab Sauv

Wine By The Glass Pavilion Schedule for August

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The Toledo Museum of Art has announced its schedule for the upcoming Wine by the Glass Pavilion tastings. These popular drop-in tasting event are scheduled Fridays from 7:00 to 9:30 PM at the Glass Pavilion.

Enjoy four wines, light snacks, and a view of our Hot Shop. Prices are $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.

• August 6 -- Perfect Pairings
• August 13 -- Wines for Your Cellar
• August 20 -- Tempranillo

Santa Ema Reserve Merlot 2007 Maipo Valley, Chile

 Santa Ema is one of the top 10 Chilean wine producers and exports wine to 30 countries – the number one customer being the U.S. We recently sampled a bottle of the 2007 Reserve Merlot Maipo Valley while conducting some business around the kitchen table.

During my recent trip to Washington State, my eyes were opened to a heartier, more complex style of Merlot. We don’t need to revisit Sideways to know that a lot of Merlot is fruit forward, mellow and (some would say) often for the more timid souls.

This reserve Merlot was a treat. It is aged in oak barrels for eight months, imparting a nice, but not overpowering, oaky characteristic. This wine is a deep violet-ruby red. The color is just outstanding.

Flavor notes of blackberries and currents come forward and it also has touches of vanilla.

This is a soft, drinkable wine with some nice sophistication.

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