TWAV Publisher Featured on InsiderOhio

InsiderOhio, a website about the news, events and people in the Buckeye State, has featured a profile of yours truly, the publisher of Toledo Wines and Vines.

The article is appreciated although I usually stay behind the scenes with the blog – keeping the focus on the wine. I also aim for a small cyber-footprint – which may sound unusual coming from someone who is a blogger!

The InsiderOhio feature is brief but should serve the purpose of introducing more people in the area to the blog. It doesn’t include a mention of the TWAV tasting team – a small band of friends who taste, travel and transcribe their thoughts on vino (and run our Facebook page!). Their efforts are surely worthy of a toast with a nice vintage!

Technorati Tags: wine

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Rockway Glen Estate Winery Fergie Jenkins Hall of Fame Collection 2007 Vidal

Although originally developed by a Frenchman seeking vines for Cognac, Vidal Blanc has found a home in Canada and the northeastern part of the US. It’s winter-hardy and so grows quite well in Ohio and Michigan and wineries in our area produce some great versions. Quarry Hill in Ohio and Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Michigan are two Vidals worth checking out.
The thick skin of Vidal Blanc also makes it a popular grape for the production of icewine. The wine produced tends to be fruity with grapefruit or pineapple flavors. Most of the Vidals I’ve tried have have a touch of sweetness.

During our visit to Niagara Peninsula wineries, we sampled the Rockway Glen Estate Winery Fergie Jenkins Vidal Blanc and liked it enough to bring a bottle back across the border. We recently popped it open and found it to be a hit. To learn more about Rockway Glen, you should read our recent story. Fergie Jenkins was a Canadian and a Hall of Fame pitcher with the Chicago Cubs. He runs a charity golf tournament at the Rockway Glen golf course and so is also tied in with the winery.

This was a crisp, acidic wine and rather refreshing. It had the tropical fruit flavor notes, but what I found interesting was that it wasn’t as sweet as other Vidals I’ve sampled. The wine, like a lot of Vidal Blancs, wasn’t tremendously complex – but it certainly gets high grades for value and drinkability. With the baseball tie-in, the wine might be a good conversation starter.
The cost was just $10 at the winery with $1 going to charity. The flavor and price make a nice double-play that Fergie Jenkins would welcome!

Technorati Tags: wine

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Dinner Concert Schedule Announced for Lone Oak Vineyard Estate

 The popular Saturday Night Dinner Concert Series returns to Lone Oak Vineyard Estate, 8400 Ann Arbor Rd, Grass Lake, Michigan, (517) 522-8167, beginning January 15. The events offer entertainment combined with fine estate grown wines and great dinners.

The music and menus change each week. Reservations are required for the intimate venue, which seats 42.

The schedule is: Jan. 15 - Ian Stewart, Jan. 22 - Bob Schultz, Jan. 29 - TBA, Feb. 5 - Ian Stewart, Feb 12 - Valentine Dinner Concert with Koke McKesson and Doug Decker, Feb. 19 - TBA.
For additional information, check the Lone Oak website.

Photo by Sharon Mollerus

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Wine Tastings & Events: January 5-8, 2011

Image of Altos Las Hormigas via Snooth

Wednesday, January 5 

The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. New Year, New Closeouts: 1. Gauthier “G-Squared” Riesling, 2. Sideyard Sweet Red, 3. Perry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 4. Rosenblum Richard Sauret Vineyard Zinfandel. Nominal fee.

 
Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Fireplace Wines. $15.

Thursday, January 6

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Kris’ Favorite Selections: 1. Rodney Strong – Chalk Hill Chardonnay – Sonoma, California, 2. Byron – Pinot Noir – Santa Maria Valley, California, 3. Alexander Valley Vineyards – Cabernet Sauvignon – Sonoma, California, 4. Yalumba – Bush Vine Grenache – Barossa Valley, Australia. $9.00  per flight or nominal fee per sample.    

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Closeout Tasting #1. Eight terrific wine deals. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Fireplace Wines. $15.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Nominal fee per sample.

Friday, January 7

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Nominal fee per sample.

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Malbecs of Argentina: 1. Alamos, 2. Altos Las Hormigas, 3. Urban UCO, 4. Colome Estate. $10 tasting.

Saturday, January 8
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Malbecs of Argentina: 1. Alamos, 2. Altos Las Hormigas, 3. Urban UCO, 4. Colome Estate. $10 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Closeout Wine Tasting: 1.Acre Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007, 2. i baci Ross Dolce, 2005, Italy, 3. Beringer Riesling, 2008, CA, 4. Divas Uncorked Chard, 2007, CA. Nominal fee per sample or $2.00 for flight.
 
Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. Noon to 5:00 PM. New Discoveries for a New Year. Nominal fee per sample or by the flight. Normal tastings $10 to $20.

Technorati Tags: wine

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

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Wine and Soccer? Casillero del Diablo and Manchester United Team Up

In the US, when you are talking about sporting events, beer rules. The beer demographic and ESPN audience are simpatico. Apparently international soccer is a different story.

Chilean winemaker Concha y Toro and its Cassillero del Diablo label have become sponsors of Manchester United, a top English soccer team and one of the most valuable and well-known sports brand in the world.

To announce this unique partnership Concha y Toro produced a wild commercial and this YouTube video takes you behind the scenes to show you how it was made

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Niagara Peninsula Winery Visit: Rockway Glen Golf Course & Estate Winery

Another in our series of Niagara Peninsula winery reports.
Golf, baseball and… wine? It’s an odd combination, but we found it works during our visit to Rockway Glen Golf Course & Estate Winery.

We had been visiting wineries in the Ontario communities of Beamsville and Vineland. The day was winding down and we decided it was time to head toward Niagara Falls, where we would stay the night. We thought we might be able to slip in another winery on the way, but street signs were in short supply. We took wrong turns as each tasting team member gave their theory about where we were. We knew we were headed east and that would eventually get us to the Falls.

We had pretty much given up on the idea of visiting another winery when we saw a sign for Rockway Glen appear out of the mist (OK, there actually wasn’t any mist – that would have caused us to be even more lost). A nice thing about Rockway Glen is that their tasting room is open until 7 PM during peak season. So that extra hour would be golden for us.

There was a bit of puzzlement as we drove up and then walked into what appeared to be a country club with golf course. A wedding rehearsal dinner or some other event was going on in the dining room and we had the awkward feeling of non-Canadian fish out of water.

We inquired of an employee and soon the metal gate in front of the tasting boutique was rolled up and we rolled in. This seemed to be a golf club that dabbled in wine, so our expectations were not high. The wines, however, were a nice surprise. Our tasting room host was a talkative guy and was happy to fill us in on a big question: What was Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins doing on their wine labels?

Fergie Jenkins played major league baseball for 18 seasons, most of them with the Cubs. He played with some great Cubs including Ron Santo and Billy Williams. The Cubs, however, are loveable losers and for many seasons Ferguson Jenkins was the only bright spot on the team. Fergie is the only Canadian in the baseball Hall of Fame and holds an annual golf tournament to benefit area charities at Rockway Glen each year.

I sampled the Fergie Jenkins Vidal Blanc and found it to be an easy drinking, casual sipper with citrus notes and not as much sweetness as I expected. The Cabernet Franc had a nice bite of pepper with black berry. Very good but not the pick of the day. During the trip I had been discovering that Ontario does a beautiful job with Baco Noir, an uncommon grape that can render some delicious wine.

The Reserve Baco Noir rocked with tastes of fig and oak mingled with dark berries. The prices rocked as well – just $10 for the Fergie Jenkins Hall of Fame Vidal Blanc ($1 goes to charity) and $18 for the super Baco.

A winery/golf course may sound a little “screwball.”But Rockway is more like Fergie Jenkins in his prime – a vintage performer.

Technorati Tags: wine,ontario wine,niagara Peninsula

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