Lake Erie Wine Festival Scheduled June 23-24 In Geneva-on-the-Lake

With the warm spring weather comes thoughts of Ohio wine festivals. The Lake Erie Wine Festival, in the heart of Ohio wine country, will take place June 23-24 and will feature live music, arts and crafts and wine and food demonstrations.

The event is schedule from 1:00 to 9:00 PM both days at the Landing Festival Marketplace, 5481 Lake Road, Geneva-on-the-Lake. Cost is $25 for adult tasters ($18 before April 15), $10 for designated drivers and $10 for those under 21.

Participating wineries include: Buccia Vineyards, Ermerine Estates, Old Firehouse Winery, Old Mill Winery, Virant Family Winery, and the Winery at Spring Hill. See www.lakeeriewinefest.com for more information and tickets.

Photo by Claudio Matsuako

Technorati Tags: wine,Geneva-on-the-Lake,Ohio wine

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Governor Declares April Michigan Wine Month, State Now Has 92 Wineries

Image of a Chardonnay vineyard in Michigan. (Chateau Fontaine in the Leelanau Peninsula AVA) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Governor Rick Snyder has declared April as "Michigan Wine Month" to honor Michigan's wide selection of quality wines and the wine industry's significant contribution to the economy.

The Michigan wine industry continues to grow at a steady pace. The Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council has added 11 new wineries to its roster over the last year -- for a total of 92. The council promotes those wineries that support Michigan agriculture by using predominantly Michigan grapes and other fruit for their wines. Along with newly opened wineries, expansion of several existing wineries has allowed for increased production to help meet the rising demand for quality wines made locally.

"We continue to see growth of Michigan wine sales -- a win for wineries, vineyards, and other small businesses statewide," said Greg O'Neil, council member and president of O.K. Distributors of St. Joseph, Mich. "As wine races toward the top spot in popularity among American consumers, Michigan-made wines are really kicking into gear. I attribute this growth in market share to the increased quality and availability of Michigan wines and to consumer interest in 'buying local' in these tough economic times."

Michigan wineries will begin to release new white wines from the 2011 vintage in April, as part of their Michigan Wine Month promotion. Winemakers report the quality of the 2011 wines is exceptional. Warm weather late in the season was of great benefit to wine grapes -- especially red grapes, which need a longer, warmer season to ripen fully. Most of the red wines from 2011 won't be released for a year or two, but some reds from the equally outstanding 2010 vintage will be released this spring.

Many events are planned this spring and early summer that will provide opportunities to meet winemakers and sample a variety of Michigan wines, including:

• What's Cooking Detroit: April 21 - Palace of Auburn Hills (http://www.whatscookingdetroit.com/)
• Michigan Wine Celebration: April 21-22 - Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail (http://www.pioneerwinetrail.com/)
• Michigan Wine Showcase: April 30 - The Rattlesnake Club, Detroit (www.michiganwines.com/showcase)
• Spring Sip & Savor: May 5-6 - Leelanau Peninsula Vintners (http://www.lpwines.com/)
• Blossom Days: May 19-20 - Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula (http://www.wineriesofoldmission.com/)
• Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival: June 16 - Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country (http://www.miwinetrail.com/)

For a complete list of events featuring Michigan wine, visit http://www.michiganwines.com/.

April will also see the release of the 2012 Michigan Wine Country magazine, an indispensable guide to the wines and wineries of Michigan. The magazine contains maps and touring information, as well as a popular section on "what's new at the wineries." To request a free copy of Michigan Wine Country, visit http://www.michiganwines.com/page.php?menu_id=97 or contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at 517-241-1207. The magazine is also available at all Michigan wineries and Travel Michigan Welcome Centers.

Technorati Tags: wine,Michigan wine

New Bordo Tasters Tablet Lends Wine Lovers A Helping Hand

Sometimes it seems like a wine lover could use an extra hand… or three. You’ve got a wine glass in one hand, tasting notes in the other, a camera around your neck, your notebook in your pocket, the pen on the table and – oh yeah – you’d really like a bite of that cheese. 

The Bordo Tasters Tablet is a new product that aims to help make things a bit more convenient for wine fans, especially those tasting in “extreme” conditions like large tastings or wine competitions.

The product is the brainchild of Nick Kubiak, formerly of The Andersons Maumee wine department and now a sales consultant for Pere Jacques Wine Imports. We connected on Twitter a couple months ago and he dropped off a tablet for testing.

The Bordo is ergonomically designed to help you take notes while tasting wine. It is about 1/4” thick and feels almost like an artist’s palette in your hand. It’s very lightweight, made out of what appears to be pressboard. There’s a glossy white finish on the top and a matte finish with the logo (and vineyard photo) on the reverse. There is a band of elastic running vertically along the center to hold down your notepaper or booklet.

There is a circular cut-out that forms the “docking station” for your wine glass. The sample I received has a nice booklet that you can use for tasting notes with check off boxes to record your ratings on sweetness, intensity, tannins, etc. as well as a place to record the wine producer, region, price and more. There’s a nice list of descriptors in the categories of sight, aroma and taste in the front.

The Tasters Tablet has gotten testing at the Cincinnati Wine Festival, which seems to be the sort of venue that’s just right for this product. For local events like the Wine Gala and Wine Affair, you are moving from table to table getting small samples and constantly referring to the program book. I know I’d have to try the wine, set down my glass, then write my notes in the book -- then pick up and do it all over again. It gets tiresome.

Another setting in which the Tasters Tablet would be awesome is the annual Wine Bloggers Conference I attend. During the event you sample hundreds of wines in a lot of different settings – taking good notes is a must. This also could come in handy if you are lucky enough to tour vineyard while sampling vino.

Bordo can also be branded for a particular event or sponsor, which could make this a popular swag item at wine festivals.

This won’t go with me to the local wine bar, but for “extreme” wine tasting situations I’ll be taking the Tablet. You can find out more about Tasters Tablet on their Facebook page.

Technorati Tags: wine,Tasters Tablet

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Toledo Area Wine Tastings & Events: March 28-31, 2012

Image of Maso Canali via Snooth

Wednesday, March 28
The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. 1. Charles & Charles Rose, 2. Tatt Red, 3. Joseph Carr “Josh” Cabernet Sauvignon, 4. Quady Elysium Black Muscat. $8 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

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

Thursday, March 29

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Easter Wines: 1. 2009 Siduri – Pinot Noir – Santa Rita Hills, California; 2. 2009 Tori Mor – Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, Oregon; 3. 2010 Hook and Ladder – Gewurztraminer – Russian River Valley, California; 4. 2009 G.M. Machmer – Gewurztraminer – Bechtheimer, Germany. $6 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Grapes Off the Beaten Path: 1. Prima Mano Fiano/Greco ~ Italy, 2. Altitude 500 Ventoux ~ Southern Rhone Grenache-Syrah, 3. The Keeper ~ California Cabernet Franc, 4. Errazuriz Single Vineyard Carmenere ~ Chile, 5. Atalaya Alicante Boushet ~ Spain, 6. Meerlust Rubicon ~ South Africa Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot; 7. Bouncristani Dulcatto ~ California, 8. Portal White Port ~ Portugal. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Easter Wines. Come out and taste Jet's Pizza, featuring their Buffalo Chicken Pizza, as well as the Famous Pepperoni Deep Dish Pizza, great with any hardy 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, March 30
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Italian Pinot Grigio: 1. Zenato, 2. Dipinti, 3. Terlano, 4. Maso Canali. $15 tasting.

Saturday, March 31
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Italian Pinot Grigio: 1. Zenato, 2. Dipinti, 3. Terlano, 4. Maso Canali. $15 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Wines for the Easter Feast: 1. Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier, 2. Toad Hollow “Eye of the Toad” Pinot Noir Rose, 3. Kim Crawford Pinot Noir, 4. Guenoc Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon. $2.50 per flight or nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 12 – 5 PM. Tuscany, Italy – The Modern vs. the Traditional. We will compare the two competing styles of Italy wines from Tuscany, Italy. The modern style features smooth rich wines that blend historic Italian wine grapes with international varieties. The traditional wines are many very much like their ancestors. Expect to taste Chianti Classico, various Super-Tuscans, and Brunello di Montalcinos. This taste will be delicious and eye-opening. Premium tasting.

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


AREA WINE BARS

• The Bistro at Maumee Wines, (419) 893-2525, 2556 Parkway Plaza, Maumee.
• Tres Belle Wine and Martini Lounge, (419) 874-4555, 3145 Hollister Lane, Perrysburg (Levis Commons).
• 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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Spann Vineyards 2007 Betsy’s Backacher Bottle Blond

The 2007 Betsy’s Backacher Bottle Blond from Spann Vineyards is a casual California sipper. The wine is a 60-40 blend of Semillon and Chardonnay.

The Semillon-Chard mixture is a classic blend. The Semillon gives it a creamy mouth and rich texture.

The Chardonnay is half fermented in stainless steel while the other half is aged in oak barrels. The Semillon is treated in stainless steel. This lightens the oakiness that can smother the fruit in some California Chardonnays.

We previously tasted the Betsy’s Backacher Red and so we thought it would be interesting to try the white version. This wine is bone dry and is refreshing with the tastes of pear and apple.

Betsy Spann is the winery’s winemaker and the name is a play on “back acre” that rings true because the far lot of 40 acres can give quite a backache to harvest. Apparently some of the women are 50-somethings who you might suspect get their hair color from a bottle.

With that back story you can expect a wine that has a fun spirit. It is an enjoyable watching TV or reading the newspaper wine, but isn’t a new sensation. It retails for $17 but can frequently be found under $10.

Rating: 2.5 of 5

Technorati Tags: wine,Chardonnay

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Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards: Santa Barbara County Winery Visit

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards is a must see stop on the Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Barbara County. Even if they didn’t pour wine, the fantastic tasting room and scenic grounds are worthy of attention.

Of course, Zaca Mesa does pour wine – very good wine indeed – and we were delighted with our recent visit there.

The vineyard was planted in 1973 with a number of grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The winery was built in 1978 and it was then they planted the first Syrah in Santa Barbara County.

By 1990 it was determined that the Rhone varieties (Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) grew best on the property. Today Zaca Mesa is a Syrah powerhouse with half of their acreage devoted to the grape.
The tasting room is nestled under a sheltering tree and gives spectacular views of mountains on the other side of the Santa Ynez Valley. A hiking trail gives an even more ideal vantage point from the hillside.

Our little band found the metal tasting bar “riveting” as we sampled through the Zaca Mesa wines. We opened with the 2009 vintage of Estate Viognier and Estate Grenache Blanc. These were satisfactory, but the real standout was the 2007 Estate Roussanne. This was one of the most interesting whites we found on our whole California trip. It had a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a bit of oak. In the glass there were flavors of apricots and honey.

The 2007 Estate Z Cuvee is a blend of 57% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre and 12% Syrah. There was a wildfire in 2007 that brought ash to the vineyard and surprisingly you could taste it in the grapes. This is a firm wine with blackberry and blueberry.

One of the most rewarding wines was the 2008 Estate Syrah. This wine was highly drinkable, whereas some of the reds could use a few more years of aging. The 2008 was velvety with plum and chocolate and many layers of enjoyment.

The 2007 Estate Z Three is a blend of 49% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache. We found it to have a bit of heat at 14.5% alcohol that gave it intensity. There were flavors of ripe blueberry and raspberry. This is a wine engineered for eight to 10 years. It has strong tannins and will be even more satisfying with aging for at least two years.

We were fortunate to close with the 2008 Estate Mesa Reserve Syrah. This is a dark, rich and dramatic wine with pepper, chocolate and dark berry flavors. It has super tannins and so should be given some time in the cellar to fully evolve.

Zaca Mesa is the top-flight operation in all of our key areas: tasting room experience, knowledgeable staff and smashing wines. To experience Zaca Mesa is to experience Santa Barbara County wines at their best.

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