Cleveland Wine Festival Scheduled July 29 and 30

Image via WikipediaThe Cleveland Wine Festival presented by Giant Eagle will return to Voinovich Bicentennial Park in downtown Cleveland later this month.

Set for Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30, the sixth annual wine festival will offer a variety of tastings, food and wine education, and cooking demonstrations in a scenic setting on the shores of Lake Erie. Festival guests can taste from a selection of more than 270 international, domestic and Ohio wines and enjoy food from fine Northeast Ohio establishments, including La Strada, La Dolce Vita, Ponte Vecchio Ristorante, Zinc Bistro, Morton's The Steakhouse, and Angelo's Pizza of Lakewood.

Back by popular demand is the Belgian Beer Café featuring Belgian beers Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe. The Lincoln Entertainment Stage will showcase live music throughout the two-day event featuring the Lloyd Dobler Effect and Michael Heaton Band.

Adult Wine Tasting Tickets are $27 in advance (purchased online) and $35 at the door. This ticket includes a souvenir wine glass, ten tastings, festival program, food and wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, musical entertainment, and the opportunity to purchase wine at a discount.

Additional tasting coupons may be purchased at the festival. Designated driver tickets are $10 in advance or at the door. This ticket includes two non-alcoholic drinks, festival program, food and wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, musical entertainment, and a souvenir wine glass upon departure. Those under 21 admitted free when accompanied by paid adult.

Among the wineries and distributors pouring wine are: Aveniu Brands, Banfi Vintners, Buckeye Distributing, Consellation Wines US, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, E&J Gallo Winery, Ferrante Winery, Gnarly Head, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Heck Estates, Laurello Vineyards, Maize Valley Winery, Mezzacorona Wines - Prestige Wine Imports, Michael David Winery, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Treasury Wine Estates, and Trinchero Family Estates. That's a pretty impressive lineup.

The Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center is featuring an exclusive “Sip, Savor and Sleep” package (available July 29 and 30 only). Call 216-696-9200 for reservations and details.

Sponsors of this year’s festival are: Giant Eagle, Lincoln, Bright Side of the Road Foundation, Stella Artois, Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center, U.S. Bank, and Aruba Tourism, with support from the following media partners – Cleveland Magazine, Ohio Magazine, Q104, Metromix Cleveland, The Wine Buzz and Cleveland.com.

The festival’s proceeds will benefit the Bright Side of the Road Foundation. The non-profit organization was founded by Chagrin Falls resident Barry Winovich to help find a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the devastating disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  The 2011 Cleveland Wine Festival is produced and managed by inPLAY EVENTS, a corporate events and marketing consulting company.

Festival hours are Friday from 4:00 to 10:00 PM and Saturday from 3:00 to 9:00 PM. For more details, visit www.clevelandwinefestival.com or call 847-382-1480.

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2006 Caprai Montefalco Rosso Riserva, Italy DOC

This wine is a beautiful Italian blend with 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Producer Arnaldo Caprai is a leader in the cultivation of Sagrantino grapes, which have been grown in the Montefalco region for 400 years.

It’s hard to say if the Sagrantino plays a leading role in this smooth wine or if the elegant nature of this wine is due exclusively to the Sangiovese, which is a lush, delicious grape we can’t get enough of.

I purchased two bottles of the Caprai Montefalco Rosso Riserva online and popped open one during a recent wine tasting at the house. We ended up out on the patio around a fire. The Montefalco was the next to last wine, right before a pricey Meritage from Ontario. My careful planning was derailed when the Montefalco stole the show.

The wine has inviting wild berry flavor notes with soft tannins and a hint of spice and vanilla. This is a wine that calls for swirling and sniffing. The tasting team can sometimes wax poetic with creative descriptors, but on this night the reaction that seemed to sum up the wine best was “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Technorati Tags: wine,Italian wine

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Walt Churchill’s Market Maumee Schedules First Oyster Blast August 6

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000, has scheduled its First Annual Oyster Blast. The event will take place Saturday, August 6 from  1:00 to 4:00 PM on the WCM patio.

“One of the world’s greatest flavor pairings is the combination of fresh oysters and crisp fresh white wine,” said wine manager Austin Beeman. “We are offering delicious oysters of the highest quality with mineral-driven European white wines like Albarino, Muscadet, Chablis, and more.” He explains that the event will be “pure bliss.”

Early registration (until August 3rd) is $25 per person for 12 oysters on the half shell and four 4 Samples of crisp white wine. On the day of the event is $5 per wine sample and $2 per oyster. Homemade sausage is available for $5 each.

To preorder call (419)794.4000 to speak to Austin.

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Wine Tastings & Events: July 13-16, 2011

Image by isante_magazine via Flickr

Wednesday, July 13

The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Spain: 1. Covilla White Rioja, 2. Vina Godeval Valdeorras, 3. Covilla Rioja, 4. Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat. $9.50 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

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

Thursday, July 14

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Sauvignon Blancs of the world: 1. La Playa - Colchagua Valley, Chile; 2. Dry Creek - Sonoma County, California, 3. Starborough - Marlborough, New Zealand, 4. Ponga - Marlborough, New Zealand. $4.00 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM.
Eight great wines each under $10. 1. Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand; 2. Morande Pionero Chardonnay, Chile; 3. Four Vines “Naked” Chardonnay,
California; 4. Monte Vople Primo Rosso, California red blend; 5. Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles,
California Rhone style red; 6. Trumpeter Cabernet, Argentina; 7. Gougenheim Malbec, Argentina; 8. HD Riesling. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. East Coast vs. West Coast Wine. $15.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. 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, July 15
* Special Event * Toledo Museum of Art Wine by the Glass Pavilion series: Santa Maria BBQ. 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. Four Styles of Pinot Noir: 1. JK Carriere "Glass" Rose, 2. Anne Amie "Prisime" Pinot Noir Blanc, 3. Louis Changarnier, 4. Cloudline. $15 tasting.

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

Saturday, July 16

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Four Styles of Pinot Noir: 1. JK Carriere "Glass" Rose, 2. Anne Amie "Prisime" Pinot Noir Blanc, 3. Louis Changarnier, 4. Cloudline. $15 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Saturday wine tasting. Nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 12 Noon – 5:00 PM. Pay by the sample or flight.

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.

Zinful Wine Bar & Restaurant, (419) 878-9463, 7541 Dutch Road, Waterville. Beautiful Blends Wine Flight ~includes appetizer & dessert for 1 . Cost is $15.

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.]

Michigan's Sandhill Crane Vineyards: Great Reason To Support Your Local Winery

Returning home to the Toledo area from the Electric Forest music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan, we began working up a thirst for some refreshing wine. We decided to "freestyle" on the way and our route took us down some back roads in the Jackson area.

My brother Tom and his wife Helen joined Green Dragon and I for the trip. I decided we'd swing by Sandhill Crane Vineyards, a standout small winery that
has a wide array of wines, comfortable tasting room and knowlegable staff.

This family-owned winery has 32 wines to choose from on its tasting menu and all the samples are free. The wines include some uncommon grape varieties that are uncommonly good, including Vignoles, Traminette, Chardonel, Vidal Blanc, Lemberger and Chancellor.

During our last visit, we really savored the white wines. This time the Serenade, a semi-sweet Vignole, stood out and the 2009 Traminette and 2010 Riesling were certainly good. But the reds really were the stars on this visit.

Picturesque vineyard rows at Sandhill Crane Vineyards

Moulin Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chancellor. It's hard to go wrong with a blend of those grapes and this was a favorite of Green Dragon. It had flavor notes similar to an Italian Red. The Proprietor's Reserve Chancellor continues to be one of our favorites and one of the great wines in our region. We sampled the 2006 vintage, which is estate grown, and enjoyed the luscious cranberry flavors and velvety body.

The 2006 Merlot was light in body but very flavorful, dripping with red berry flavors.  Abrazo is a jammy blend of Chancellor and DeChaunac that was a favorite of our quartet of tasters.

Sandhill isn't afraid to experiment and neither are we. We tried a pair of unusual wines. The first was Vignoles Pyment. Pyment is a blend of wine and mead (wine made from honey). We're just acquiring the taste for ice wine (in small quantities) but haven't made the leap to meads. This blend of mead and Vignoles first hits you with the honey and then the Vignoles. Unique and interesting, but not our favorite.

Winemaker Holly Balansag shows off her
Proprietor's Reserve Chancellor

The most unusal wine we tried was Sugar Snow. Tom and Helen live in the heart of maple syrup country in upstate New York and so we had to give this a try. This unfiltered fortified wine is made with maple sap from a local farm and lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup. This is a super limited wine with only 50 cases made. the wine comes in half bottles and sells for $19.50. I love maple syrup and so enjoyed this wine. This would need to be sippled slowly with a sweet dessert or perhaps drizzled on some freshly fallen snow.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards is a compelling reason you should drink local. Be sure to check them out on your next swing through Michigan.

Photos by Tom Nershi

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Trio of White Wines for Cool Summer Sipping

When the heat of summer starts melting your house paint, how do you keep your cool? In quest of answers, the Toledo Wines and Vines tasting team sampled a trio of white wines with some bouncy flavors and outstanding value.

First out of the starting block was the 2010 Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc. We consider Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand a “go to” wine that is ideal for almost any occasion. It matches well with food, can be enjoyed by itself and has an elegant flavor that pleases novice wine drinkers as well as the most discerning palate.

Our tasting team noted the zing on the tongue and pear and grassy flavors mixed with tropical fruit. This is a dry wine that has a zippy flavor and lingers in the finish. This is a winning wine that costs a mere $15.99.

Our second selection was the non-vintage Evolution white from Oregon’s Sokol Blosser. One of the tasting crew dubbed this a “hairy buffalo” as it is a wild mix of Muller-Thurgau, Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.

This is the 13th edition of this wine and is dubbed “Lucky.” The bottle is covered with quirky sayings that make more sense after you’ve had a couple glasses of vino. One such slogan is “Chill. Sip. Chill.” Not too bad a concept.
The Evolution did indeed evolve for me. There is a complex floral aroma and touch of pepper on the palate. This wine launched a parade of flavors that changed from the first sip onward. This has a light to medium body, making it more interesting than a wimpy Pinot Grigio.

It is finished in stainless steel, so the unique flavors of the whites weren’t masked by oak. The alcohol level is low at 12.2%, making it a good food wine. It blended very well with our beet salad.
Evolution sells for $17.99 and looks like a very good choice for summer parties.

The final member of the summertime trio is the 2009 Bodega Tamari Reserva Torrontes. Torrontes is the most popular white wine in Argentina, where most of the attention is focused on its red counterpart, Malbec.

Tamari means “to be passionate” in the native language of the Hurape in Argentina’s Mendoza region. It comes from the Fatima Valley in La Rioja where the climate is balanced between warm daytime temperatures and a cool-down at night, which brings out the best in Torrontes grapes.

The color is a vivid yellow with green reflections. It sports a medium body and casts off an aroma of white flowers. It has a balanced flavor with a tropical fruitiness and a dash of spice. It is a dry wine but without the minerality of Riesling. It’s a different and tasty sipper that pairs well with seafood, poultry and corn dishes seasoned with basil, curry or mustard. The Tamari sells for $15.

Full disclosure: We received these wines as samples.

Technorati Tags: wine

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