Toledo Area Wine Bars Provide Options For Vino Lovers

Photo by Dennis Jarvis

Occasionally I get a phone call on my cell from a person who thinks I operate a wine bar or conduct wine tastings. Hey, I’m just a wine lover who publishes this blog as a public service and creative outlet. Since I’m a conscientious guy, this is what I tell them.

Your best source of information for wine tastings is right here, at Toledo Wines and Vines. Each week on Wednesday we publish a wine tasting and wine event calendar for the Toledo area. It saves you the hassle of searching for the information from the various sources.

You can click on the dark purple “Wine Tastings & Events” button on the right side of the blog and it will take you to the latest tasting information. This is a free service to help the wine shops and stores that are cool enough to offer wine tastings and also a boost for charitable organizations trying to raise some money through swanky wine events.

We are fortunate to have three great wine bars, and a slew of restaurants with great wine lists. The three wine bars are:

• 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.

If you click on the link, it will take you to our story about the wine bar, which will tell you everything you need to know. My quick take on these three wine bars is as follows.

Zinful has a Waterville address and is very close to the Fallen Timbers mall. If offers the best selection of wines by the glass and an outstanding assortment of wines by the bottle. There is regular entertainment (usually jazz) and a wide selection of craft beer on tap – plenty of screens too for the big game. The food is excellent and ranges from full meals to appetizers or pub food. There is also an outside patio.

Tres Belle has a great location at Levis Commons. You’ll find a nice assortment of wine by the bottle or glass, but also a variety of martinis and cocktails. This is a high-energy night club with a cigar shop next door. It’s a great place to stop in before or after dinner at the many restaurants in Levis.

The Bistro at Maumee Wines is the newest wine bar on the scene and offers a casual bar setting or a nice sit-down restaurant for some very fine cuisine. There is a list of wine by the glass or bottle, but the best deal is to buy a nice bottle from the wine shop, pay a small corkage fee, and then enjoy it with the stellar dinner menu. If you go there for dinner, the cost is comparable to that of a fine dining restaurant. You do have the option of enjoying the bar or sticking to appetizers.

In short, wine lovers have it pretty good here in the Toledo area. We encourage you to support your local wine shops and wine bars.

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Finger Lakes, Ontario, Michigan and Germany Face Off In Blind Riesling Tasting

May is Riesling Month and for Toledo Wines and Vines, it is a festive time. We love Riesling – and any excuse to raise a glass of this wonderful wine is quite welcome.

The wineries of the Finger Lakes are hosting the Riesling Hour Twitter tasting tonight (May 31) from 6:00 to 9:00 PM EDT. (Pop open a bottle of Riesling and use #FLXwine to tweet.) Unfortunately this year a conflict with a league tennis match means I can’t  participate (bummer!).

Have no fear – the TWAV tasting team got an early start and did a blind Riesling tasting to celebrate the wine we love – plus, it’s cool!

The wines were bagged in as blind a fashion as we could and our tasting team quickly assembled to enjoy the hospitality of Wine Chick and Sax Man. Eric and Linda (PsychDoc) joined Green Dragon and me to round out the tasting team.

The blind tasting bags have the letters “WINES” on them and so we began with the letter “W.” The wines were not revealed until all five had been tasted.

W – Light gold in color with a medium body. Starts with a burst of peach and citrus with a pinch of sweetness. Great balance. I would have been satisfied if this were the only wine I drank that evening. (Hermann J. Weimer 2009 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes)

I – Light yellow in color with a massive fruit and floral bouquet with a hint of petrol. This wine has a full body and an unexpected sweetness. When I purchased this online, it called it an off-dry Riesling. Not hardly. But a sumptuous wine with the right food. Needs Gouda or some spicy food. (S.A. Prüm 2006 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel)

N – Very pale in color, especially after “I,” and was pleasingly dry. A nice interplay of minerality and acidity. Citrus dominated the nose and flavor notes, but in an elegant way. (Ravines Vineyard 2009 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes)

E – This wine was dancing on our tongues. The aroma was zesty, but it was closed on the palate. A smoother, lighter wine than the first three with the emphasis on minerality versus fruit. (Inniskillin 2009 Two Vineyards Dry Riesling, Niagara Penninsula, Ontario)

S – Lemon-lime swirls around this wine, which had lower acidity than the previous four. Tart and satisfying, but less complex than its alphabet brethren. (Lakewood Vineyards 2008 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes)

Bonus Wine – Ever eager to be comprehensive in our wine tasting so we can share this knowledge with our readers, we delved into the back-up stock of wine and brought out a J Trees Cellars 2008 Dry Riesling, Michigan. We’ve lauded this as the best within 150 miles of Toledo. It was enjoyable, but on this night fell short of the distinguished competitors (which were all outside that 150-mile radius).

And the winner is… First of all, props for Sax Man, who was able to correctly identify all the wines before they were revealed.

The favorite of all six of the tasting crew was... the Hermann J. Weimer 2009 Dry Riesling. This really is what great Riesling is all about, nuanced flavors, crisp acidity and perfect balance wrapped into a glorious package. Bravo!

Pulling into second place was another Finger Lakes favorite, Ravines Vineyard, with its 2009 Dry Riesling.

The S.A. Prum Auslese was the least favorite, but that’s because it was a sweeter Riesling against an array of crisp dry wines. This is a proud German vino that should be served as an aperitif or with a properly spicy dish.

Happy Riesling Hour and Riesling Month from the Tasting Team at TWAV.

Technorati Tags: Riesling Hour,Riesling,wine

Toledo Area Wine Tastings & Events: May 30–June 2, 2012

Image of Fontaleoni via Snooth

Wednesday, May 30
The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. 1. Treasure Hunter “Helen’s Helm,” 2. Treasure Hunter “Constantine’s Watch,” 3. JaM Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, 4. Cameron Hughes “Lot 285″ Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. $10 or nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Pinots. $15.
Thursday, May 31

Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. 1. 2010 Michael David – Incognito – White Blend– Lodi, California, 2. 2010 Fontaleoni – Vernaccia – San Gimignano, Italy, 3. 2010 Dona Paula – Malbec– Mendoza, Argentina, 4. 2008 Medlock Ames – Red Blend – Healdburg, California. Flight $6 or nominal fee per sample.

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Full Throttle Chardonnay: 1. Cameron Hughes Lot 222 Los Carneros Chardonnay, 2. Concha y Toto Amelia Chardonnay, Chile, 3. Selby Russian River Chardonnay, 4. Floral Spring, Napa Chardonnay, 5. Abeja Washington State Chardonnay, 6. Cakebread Napa Chardonnay, 7. Chateau Montelena Napa Chardonnay, 8. Kistler Sonoma Mountains Chardonnay. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Pinot. $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, June 1
Special Event  Wood County Humane Society's Wine and Cheese Benefit  6:00 – 10:30 PM, Bowling Green State University, Olscamp Hall. Dinner, desserts and fine wines to benefit the animals in our community. Silent and live auctions and music. Tickets $45. For information, please e-mail wchsevents@gmail.com . For tickets, use the order form at the Wood County Humane Society website.

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Wines of Spain: 1. Raventos i Blanc Cava, 2. Burgans Albarino, 3. Volver Tempranillo, 4. Atteca Garnacha. $15 tasting.

Saturday, May 26
Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Wines of Spain: 1. Raventos i Blanc Cava, 2. Burgans Albarino, 3. Volver Tempranillo, 4. Atteca Garnacha. $15 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. New limited-availability closeout wines. Nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. 12 – 5 PM. New Discoveries.  A diverse collection of wines from around the world that have recently arrived in the wine shop.  Be among the first to taste these new wines. Nominal fee per sample.

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






Next Week
Tuesday, June 5
Maumee Wines and The Bistro,  2556 Parkway Plaza, (419) 893-2525. 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Wines for the grilling season. Chef Justin Thomas will grill up some specialties to match the wines. Four crisp whites and four silky, spicy reds. $25.

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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Domaine de la Solitude 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

We came across this wine at the Rose & Thistle in downtown Perrysburg. Green Dragon and I stopped in for a glass of wine with our friends Gary and Kelly. I had prepared to opt for wine by the glass – not wanting to get too much – but Green Dragon suggested it was more sensible to get a bottle. So we did.

The wisdom of this approach was quickly affirmed as I noticed a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the wine list for $35. This appeared to be a crazy bargain. I quickly fired up my Cor.kz application on my phone and saw that the going price for this wine is $38 to $40 – and that’s before the typical 25% to %50 mark-up you expect at a bar or restaurant. Score! No matter the price – this was the wine for us.

The Domain de la Solitude is 55% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Cinsault and Mourvedre. The wine had just the right approach – not too tannic, but with enough body to please our crowd. It is a graceful wine that is dark ruby red. It is juicy with red fruit and berries. It has quieter melodic strains of herb and earthiness mixed into the composition.

This was a thoroughly rewarding bottle of wine from a powerhouse winemaking region from France. Highly recommended!

Rating: 4.5 of 5   Value: 4 of 5