Wine By The Glass Pavilion Schedule for March and April Announced

Image by mmeiser2 via Flickr

  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 the Hot Shop. Prices are $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.
 

• March 18 Vino Italiano
• March 25 Perfect Pairings
• April 1 Lighten Up: Wines for Spring
• April 8 Undiscovered France
• April 15 Sineann Wines
• April 22 Blind Tasting

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License To Steal Wine Marketing Conference Set April 12-14 in Geneva, Ohio

Winery owners and marketing directors, tourism specialists, businesses that benefit from wineries in their region, economic development people and all interested in the growth of the American grape and wine community will gather April 12-14 at the Lodge and Conference Center in Geneva, Ohio, for the annual License to Steal Conference.

The conference focuses on marketing and is designed to help keep wineries ahead of the marketing curve. The program has outstanding keynote speakers lined up and is a superb opportunity for winery owners to share ideas and “steal” the best thinking of others.

We attended the conference last year and the exchange of ideas from wineries around the country was amazing – no doubt the ideas could translate into thousands of dollars through increased sales and greater visibility in the market.

Among the featured speakers are:

• Tim Hanni: author, lecturer, media guru and long time California proponent of broadening the base of the wine consumer pyramid.
• Julie Dion: Sarasota marketer and consultant on media purchasing.
• Chris Davidson, partner and Principle of Y Partnership providing research on major travel trends.
• And the best and brightest minds in American wine marketing willing to share openly every secret in their repertoire.

The conference begins at 10:00 AM on April 12 with the first 'Steal Session' and ends at noon on April 14 with a recap of all the information gleaned and shared.

Here’s the link to register for License to Steal 2011, and get the latest information on the conference.

State wine producer associations from Ohio, New York, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Indiana will be participating. Wineries from across the country are expected to participate.

Technorati Tags: wine,License to Steal

Flickr photo by Mukumbura

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Gnarly Head 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi

Our kick-off wine for our recent Mardi Gras dinner party was the Gnarly Head 2008 Old Vine Zin. Green Dragon had picked it up at Andersons in Maumee where it was recommended as a wine that would complement our dinner that was replete with spicy dishes such as Crawfish Etoufee and Jambalaya. For those who really like things hot, one of our guests brought Mother Pucker’s hot sauce!

We like Old Vine Zinfandel. Typically this means the wine is from vines that are 40 years or older. The older vines produce less fruit with those grapes having concentrated and vibrant flavors.

This Zin is from Lodi, California, which is well known for a climate that is ideal for growing Zinfandel grapes. It has long, warm summer days and cool ocean breezes in the evening. The soil is sandy and well drained.

The vines for this wine are 35 to 80 years old and the wine brand itself takes its name from gnarled old Zinfandel vines with twisted trunks and branches.

We decanted this wine and it had a lovely rich and dark aroma. It emanates licorice, plum and dark berry flavors. It is finished in a combination of French and American oak, but is not overpowered by wood. The wine has a medium body and despite being 14.5% alcohol, doesn’t “feel” heavy.

This is a great wine value, coming in at about $11. Match with pizza, chili, ribs or a New Orleans style feast.

Technorati Tags: wine,Zinfandel

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Wine Tastings & Events: March 9-12, 2011

Wednesday, March 9

The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Employee Picks, Part I. Is it twice as good at twice the price? 1. Oxford Landing Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre, 2. Turkey Flats Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre, 3. Peter Mertes Spatlese, 4. Selbach Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese. Nominal fee per sample or $7 flight.

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

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Single Vineyard Barolos from Domenico Clerico. This is a “Two by Two” tasting.  We will taste only two wines, but what wines they are!  To be tasted are the Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo ‘Pajana’ and the Domenico Clerico 2003 Barolo ‘Ciabot Mentin Ginestra.’  We will be seated for this tasting and delve deeply in the vintage, the winery, and the vineyard sites – with an emphasis on high-level wine education. Limited to 10 people.  $30 per person.  Must pay in advance. Call for details.

Thursday, March 10

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Chardonnays: “To Oak or not to Oak,” that is the question… 1. Chassagne Montrachet, Burgundy, France {neutral oak}, 2. Desert Wind, Columbia Valley, Washington {no oak}, 3. Franciscan, Napa Valley, California {medium-heavy oak}, 4. Cameron Hughes lot 209, Los Carneros, California {heavy oak}. $6.50 per flight or nominal fee per sample.    

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Dynamic California Reds: 1. Bonny Doon Le Cigar Volant, 2.Delectus Merlot, 3. Delectus Cabernet Franc, 4. Delectus Cabernet, 5. Delectus Petite Sirah,6. Niner “Fog Catcher,” 7. Floral Springs Triogy, 8.Valley of the Moon Port. Nominal fee per sample.

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

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Join us the entire month of March for The Madness. Every Thursday and Friday we'll feature a bracket of four competing wines from the world's classic winemaking regions. Every night is a different region. South America & Spain. Nominal fee per sample.

Friday, March 11

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m.  Bargain Wines: 1. McManis Chardonnay, 2. Montebuena Rioja, 3. Sebastiani Merlot, 4. Raimat Cabernet Sauvignon. $10 tasting.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. No tasting. Mike is out of town.

Saturday, March 12

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m.  Bargain Wines: 1. McManis Chardonnay, 2. Montebuena Rioja, 3. Sebastiani Merlot, 4. Raimat Cabernet Sauvignon. $10 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Wine tasting: 1. Layer Cake Shiraz, South Australia, 2. Darke Red from the Winery at Versailles, 3. Mi Terruno Sweet Torrontes, Argentina, 4.Ca’Tullio Prosecco Italy. Flight $2.50 or nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. Noon to 5:00 PM. French Wines – 90 points and under $20. Nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill's Market, 26625 Dixie Hwy, Perrysburg, (419) 872-6900. 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Nominal fee per sample or by the flight.

Technorati Tags: wine

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

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Niagara-on-the-Lake Winery Visit: Peller Estates Winery

Another in our series of reports on Niagara-on-the-Lake winery visits.


Peller Estates Winery is an impressive wine showcase.

 Peller Estates Winery is an upscale Mecca for wine lovers and tourists. The winery, which boasts a spectacular building and a Zagat top-rated restaurant, has past honors as Canadian Winery of the Year. The wine boutique was overflowing with premium wine merchandise, tasting stations and swarming visitors.

We worked our way to a tasting station and began tasting the Private Reserve Red Flight. The Private Reserve is the mid-level line of wines, in between the Family Series and the premium Signature Series’ Ace of Bass and I tasted through the three wines beginning with the 2007 Private Reserve Merlot. This was pleasing enough, but not remarkable. The 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc was thoroughly enjoyable with a rustic taste of currants and spice.

We’re big Meritage fans and turned our attention to the 2008 Private Reserve Meritage. We rated it “decent” but not as nice as the Cab Franc.

The Signature Series Flight led off with a 2004 Signature Series Merlot. This was velvety smooth with juicy red fruit and we rated it as an all-around winner. The 2003 Signature Series Cabernet Franc, which retails for about $35 Canadian, was next. I was liking the super fragrant aroma, but Glorious T (who arrived on the scene after checking out the shop merchandise) did not like it. The pepper is the thing for her and she didn’t go for this particular taste. We wrapped up the tasting with the ‘04 Signature Series Cab Sauvignon and the general impression was that the tannins were over the top resulting a woody taste. This was our fourth winery and we decided we were only going to spend time with the wines we really liked.

The crowds were much larger than any of the other wineries we had visited on our Niagara trip and so we prepared to leave. As we were walking out, we noticed a sign that beckoned with the promise of more bargains downstairs. Down we went and the further down we went, the higher up our opinion of Peller Estates went.



Wine lovers log on in the Peller
wine boutique.

 We emerged from the stairway into an amazing barrel cellar showcase. Barrels were stacked in all directions and the centerpiece was a magnificent dining space enclosed with floor to ceiling windows. The fine table linen and glassware gleamed as wait staff prepared for a special wine tasting education event.

We worked our way to a tasting bar made from wine barrels. The cellar temperature was cool and the pressing masses upstairs apparently overlooked this awesome area under their feet. While the tastings upstairs were $7 per flight, the tastings for the bargain wines were only a dollar. We had a friendly server all to ourselves and started with a ‘06 Sur Lie Chardonnay. This wine is aged in oak barrels and aged on the skins for 12 months. It had a toasted oak and citrus flavor with a nice medium body.

We moved to the 2006 Private Reserve Merlot. This really grabbed us as an elegant wine.This had a nice touch of blackberries and soft oak. It had a medium body and a round finish of chocolate and spice. The price was only $6 for a Niagara Peninsula VQA Merlot, so we were all over it.

The tasting finished as it should with some 2002 Riesling icewine. Our server coached us, telling us to chew the sweet juice for 10 seconds to truly enjoy its wonderful nuances.

Peller is a family-owned winery the should be on the radar for all wine lovers touring Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Technorati Tags: wine,niagara-on-the-lake

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Jargon Pinot Noir 2009, California

At first glance, Jargon appears to be a quirky new wine company geared to making “just good wine” and steering clear of wine snobbery. Jargon is actually a part of Trinchero Family Estates which owns several labels of wine, including the ever-present mega-brand of Sutter Home.

Green Dragon picked this up at the Andersons apparently based on how well she thought the wine label matched our Mardi Gras dinner party. We opened this as the Cajun-themed evening was winding down.

Without question, this is a value wine. It is priced at about $10. It is, however, a quite enjoyable wine with cherry and strawberry flavor notes. It is a very soft and smooth wine with a touch of herbs. The ride ends a bit too soon with a short finish.

This is a pleasant Pinot, especially for the price. It doesn’t match the heights of Mount Olympus, but it is a nice sized hill that provides some very enjoyable scenery. It goes well with Zydeco music too!

Technorati Tags: wine,Pinot Noir

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