Walt Churchill’s Market Maumee To Offer Bastille Day Event

Image by Infrogmation via Flickr

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, has scheduled its 6th Annual Bastille Day Dinner on Thursday, July 14 from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The meal will feature five courses with matching wines.

The cost is $65 per person and it is limited to 25 people.

The menu is planned as follows, although they reserve the right to substitute something even better.

1. Potage St Germaine with Kuentz-Bas 2009 Alsace Blanc.

2. Ragout Escargot a la Guillame with La Vielle Ferme 2010 Rosé

3. Salmis of Game Hen with Georges Duboeuf 2009 Morgon ‘Jean Descombes’

4. Venison Filet with Aioli with Chateau Bouscasse 2007 Madiran

5. Custard Tart with (dessert wine – to be announced)

For tickets call Austin Beeman at (419)794-4000 or email austin.beeman@waltchurchillsmarket.com .

Who knew storming a French prison could be so much fun?

Technorati Tags: wine

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Poema Cava Brut

Cava is Spain's sparkling wine, produced mainly in the Penedès region in northeastern Spain. It is made with a traditional blend of grapes: 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-lo, 20% Parellada. Needless to say, these are not grapes you are bound to run into on the shelves of the local Piggly Wiggly. The wine is made in the traditional method, the same as Champagne.

The Poema Cava Brut is aged for 18 months in cellars. It has an alcohol content of 11.5%, which makes it a nice pairing for a light brunch or meal. The wine has small delicate blasts of bubbles -- quite sufficient to tickle your palate.

We enjoyed this bottle with friends on a summer evening. Cava has many different styles depending on the aging and degree of sweetness. Poema offers Brut and Extra Dry. On their sweetness scale, the Brut is a notch drier than the Extra Dry.

No matter. The level of dryness was just right for us. Our one friend, who is not a sparkling wine fan, found it rather enjoyable -- pairing especially well with fresh fruit. This Cava has a rich, creamy body accented with toast and mild pear.

This is a great summertime sipper, just right for a party by the pool. It is right priced at about $12.

Full disclosure: We received this wine as a free sample.

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2008 South River Vineyard Trinity, Grand River Valley

June is Ohio Wine Month and it is fitting during this festive occasion to highlight a wine from one of our favorite Ohio wineries: South River Vineyard. SRV is the “winery in a church” and is located in Geneva, the heart of Ohio Wine Country.

SRV may not be on your radar because they typically don’t participate in wine trail events. The tasting room and grounds are very striking. (Check out our previous winery report here.)

Trinity is a blend of 33% Merlot, 34% Chambourcin and 33% Pinot Noir. As you might suspect, this is a smooth sipping blend. We uncorked this bottle with Wine Chick and Jazz Man while enjoying some tasty nibbles on their patio.

The nose offers a bit of green pepper along with fruit. On the palate there is a mellow rumbling of red berries with cherry being very pronounced. For me there was a bit of firmness on the finish, which I liked because it gave the body a dash more interest and makes the wine suited to pairing with a wider range of food.

SRV is one of the largest vinifera growers in the area with 45 acres of vineyards. Varieties include Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Pinot Noir, as well as Merlot and Semillon, the only farmers in this area to grow them. They, like many of the wineries in the Geneva area, benefit from the moderating effects of Lake Erie which provide a longer growing season and warmer winters.

Trinity is a great wine with estate grown Ohio grapes. This is one of our favs. During this month we encourage you to find a favorite Ohio wine of your own.

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Wine Tastings & Events: June 22-25, 2011

Image of Villa Antinori via Snooth

Wednesday, June 22

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

Thursday, June 23

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Spring / Summer Wines: 1. Cameron Hughes – Lot 209 Chardonnay – Carneros, California, 2. Opolo Vineyards – Cabernet Franc – Paso Robles, California, 3. Opolo Vineyards – Maestro, Red blend – Paso Robles, California, 4. BEX – Riesling – Mosel river, Germany. $4.50 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Wine and Seafood Night. Come and Taste fresh cooked seafood from our Andersons Fish House and quintessential wines to accompany them. 1. Grooner Gruner Veltliner, Austria, 2. Domaine du Manoir Muscadet, Loire Valley, France, 3. Alkoomi dry Riesling, Franklin River, Australia, 4. Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 5. Handley Chardonnay, Anderson Valley, California, 6. Billaud-Simon Chablis, Chablis, France, 6. King Estate Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, Oregon, 7. Calera Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California, 8. Lingenfelder “Fish” Riesling. Nominal fee per sample.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. No Spain, No Gain II
Spanish wine represents some of the greatest value in the entire world. Join us as we pop open bottles from all over the country. Also, join us for an in-depth discussion on Spain, it's viticultural history, and what the country has in store for the future with our Berman Distribution representative, Tricia Gentry Rasar. Nominal fee per sample.

 

TREO Wine Bar, 5703 Main St., Sylvania, (419) 882-2266. Wine & Cheese Thursday. Explore the wonderful world of wine and cheese. Try four different wines with a sample platter of the day’s cheese.

Friday, June 24

* Special Event * Toledo Museum of Art Wine by the Glass Pavilion series: South American Vinhos. 7:00 to 9:30 PM in the Glass Pavilion. Enjoy four wines, light snacks, and a view of glassmakers working in the Hot Shop. Prices are $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Super Tuscan Wines: 1. Terre di Tuffi, 2. Monte Antico, 3. Villa Antinori Toscana, 4. Sonnino Lo Schiavone. $15 tasting.

 

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. No Spain, No Gain II
Spanish wine represents some of the greatest value in the entire world. Join us as we pop open bottles from all over the country. Nominal fee per sample.

 

Saturday, June 25 

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Super Tuscan Wines: 1. Terre di Tuffi, 2. Monte Antico, 3. Villa Antinori Toscana, 4. Sonnino Lo Schiavone. $15 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Saturday wine tasting: The Best Way to Learn About Wine is to Taste It.1. Opolo 2005 Cabernet Franc, 2. Opolo 2005 Petite Verdot, 3. Opolo 2009 Zinfandel, 4. Fritz Windisch Dornfelder 2010. $3.25 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

 

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 12 Noon – 5:00 PM. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The ‘Big Boy’ of Californian wines is the theme this week. We are going to open some of the big names and some that deserve to be more well known. Premium tasting.

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.

AREA WINE BARS

• Tres Belle Wine and Martini Lounge, (419) 874-4555, 3145 Hollister Lane, Perrysburg (Levis Commons).
• Vino 100 Wine Bar & Restaurant, (419) 866-8466, Promenade West, 3355 Briarfield Blvd, Suite C, Maumee.
• Zinful Wine Bar & Restaurant, (419) 878-9463, 7541 Dutch Road, Waterville.

Technorati Tags: wine

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

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Ca’ Momi 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa winery Ca’ Momi aims to craft “impressive Napa Valley wines at reasonable prices, so that you can enjoy a great glass of wine every night.” The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is barrel aged for 18 months and copped a double gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Our guest reviewer Larry, a noted lover of California reds, filed the following review:

When first poured in the glass it had a dark ruby color. The aroma had essence of cherry, cinnamon, raspberry, blackberry and oak. The first taste seemed a little bitter with an earthy oak taste and we were not initially impressed with the wine. By “we” I mean my wife, son, mother-in-law and myself.

Then we had dinner. This is a dinner wine. It has the Old World flavor that goes well with food. As we progressed through the meal the vote in favor of this Cab increased. We found it went very well with beef, tomatoes and dark chocolate. The chocolate really brought out the cherry in the wine. The oak flavor was toned down by the food. By the end of the meal this Cab was voted a fine dinner wine and highly recommended by my team of reviewers.

We love stories with a happy ending! The Ca’ Momi Cab has 13.9% alcohol and retails for $19.99.

Full disclosure: This wine was received as a free sample.

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Hudson Valley Winery Visit: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery

A trip to Rhinebeck, New York, to drop our daughter off for an internship program provided the perfect opportunity to visit our very first Hudson Valley winery.

Our business in Rhinebeck took several hours longer than anticipated and we were unsure we could still make the visit. We had hoped to check out two wineries, but with evening rapidly approaching, we turned to Jan (our GPS with the sporty English accent) to pilot our car to Millbrook Vineyards & Winery.

Grapes have been grown in the Hudson Valley for hundreds of years and some of the oldest vineyards can be found here. The French Hugenots planted the first vines in New Paltz in 1677 – more than a 100 years before any were planted in California. The region now has more than 20 wineries.

Millbrook is considered one of the top wineries in the Hudson Valley and New York state. It’s easy to see why.

The winery is owned by John Dyson, the former state commissioner of agriculture who was responsible for jump-starting the region’s wine industry in the 1970s. Dyson began converting an old dairy farm into Millbrook Winery in 1979 and their first commercial vintage was in 1985. Dyson and wife Kathe have gone on to establish a thriving business that includes not only Millbrook, but a small winery in Tuscany and California cult Pinot Noir producer William Selyem.

The renovated Dutch-hip barn that houses the winery sits atop a scenic hill covered with vines with scenic views of the Catskill Mountains. The winery produces 12,000 to 14,000 cases per year with estate-grown grapes, as well as grapes from other New York vineyards and some from Dyson owned vineyards in California.
The tasting room and gift show is clean and stylish and the loft area of the barn features an eclectic space sprinkled with artwork that makes a sensational setting for special events.

Millbrook produces a private label
Chardonnay for rocker Daryl Hall.

Our first tasting was the Millbrook Vin Gris 2009. This is made with Pinot Grigio grapes from California’s Central Coast. As with other Pinot Gris-style wines, it is a heartier style with an oaked finish and an interesting copper color. Italian Pinot Grigio, made with the same grapes, are much lighter and fruitier. Although interesting, this was our least favorite of the tasting.

Next up was something completely different, the 2010 Tocai Fruiliano. This is an Italian grape only grown in New York by Millbrook. Five acres of the 30 acres under vine at Millbrook are dedicated to this unique varietal.

It is the most widely planted and most often drunk wine throughout the areas of the Friulia region in Northeast Italy. The grape and the wine it makes have no connection to the better known Hugarian Tokaji or to France's Tokay d'Alsace. It is believed to be the grape known as Sauvignon Vert.

This is a light fruity wine designed to be enjoyed young and is a good match for seafood or shellfish.
On the red side, we enjoyed the Hunt Country Red, a blend of 58% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 8% Zinfandel and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is perfect for a barbecue with deep blackberry and dark cherry flavors with a touch of spice. We picked up a bottle of this to enjoy with my brother that evening.

Our favorite for the tasting was the 2008 Cabernet Franc with 82% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 Proprietor’s Reserve is 100% Cab Franc and when we were leaving I was about to pick up a bottle of the Reserve when I noticed a magnum of 2007 Cab Franc for only $39. Although it isn’t 100% Cab Franc, it does have the extra year in the bottle and upon our server’s recommendation, the big bottle found a new home.

The Cab Frank has rich berry flavors swirling with plum and spice building to a rich, ripe finish.

Millbrook is a destination winery that also produces wines of distinction.

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