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Home > Blogs > Uncorked > Archives > 2006 > June
June 2006
One VERY fine wine list, all available by the glass
Reading the list below of all of the wines that are availalbe to us, just for the asking (well, that and a small tasting fee …), I don’t know — it just make me glad to be alive and kickin’ and livin’ here in the Miami Valley of Wine.
You?
Several wines catch my eye. The Francophile in me is curious about the 2005 Verget Bourgogne and the Chinon, a cab franc-based wine from the Loire Valley. From California, the Wild Horse pinot calls to me because the winery is in Paso Robles, which I visited a month ago, but didn’t make it to that winery. And the Bucklin ‘01 Old Hill Zinfandel should be a blockbuster — y’all recall Ravenswood Old Hill zins, right? And a rosé made from cinsault anad syrah sounds rather refreshing on a hot summer evening …. Mmmmm.
Click on “continue reading” and start salivating and preparing your plan of attack. As always, this list comes to Uncorked via a local wine listserve, for which Uncorked is verrrrrry thankful …. Cheers!
Jay’s Kitchen Door Friday, June 30, 2006 4-8 pm 2003 Clos St Magdeleine Cassis 2004 Wild Horse Pinot Noir 1997 Leuwin Estate Cabernet 2001 Judd Hill Cabernet
Saturday, July 1, 2006 1-6 pm 2004 Simi Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Bogle Phantom 2003 Charles Krug Merlot 2003 Estancia Meritage
Call 222-2892 for the August Crab Luncheon reservations!
Arrow – Kettering Saturday, July 1, 2006 11-4 pm Lavradores Tres Bagos, 2003 Portugal Verget Bourgogne Cote d’Or, 2005 France El Seque Vinedos Seque 2004 Spain Labbe Abymes, 2004 Savoie France Tikalo Alba Liza, 2004 Spain SURPRISE BAROLO from Vintner Select!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, June 30, 2006 5-8pm Domaine de Noire ’05 Chinon Rose Sauvignon Republic Cellars Russian River Sauvignon Blanc Domaine de Noire ’04 Chinon Elegance Rivola ‘03 Sardon De Duero Brown Bag!
Saturday, July 1, 2006 1-6pm Cassagne ’05 Rose Domaine de Pouy ‘05 Vin de Pays des Cotes De Gascogne Sottimano ’02 Basarin Barbaresco MacRostie ’00 Meritage Bucklin ‘01 Old Hill Zinfandel L’Ecole ’03 Cabernet Sauvignon Bonus Bottle!
Beer: Samuel Adams Brewer Patriot Collection: James Madison Dark Wheat Ale George Washington Porter
DLM Washington Square Thursday, June 29, 2006 5-8pm ’05 Gran Feudo Rose ’04 Palliser Pinot Noir ’04 Renato Ratti “Colombe “ Dolcetto d’Alba ’03 Clot de l’Oum “La Campagnie des Pappillons� ’02 Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial Mystery Bottle!
Saturday, July 1, 2006 12-5pm ’05 Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Rose ’04 Maison Ambroise Bourgogne ’03 Mas de la Deveze Cotes du Roussilon Villages ’03 Dunham Cellars Syrah ’01 Fran Feudo Riserva Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, June 30, 2006 3-7pm Gran Feudo Crianza Gran Feudo Crianza Reserva Abadia Retuert Rivola Abadia Retuert Seleccion Especial
Saturday, July 1, 2006 12-5pm Mer Soleil Chardonnay Sequum Zinfandel Potel Pommard 1er Cru Maloy O’Neill Cabernet
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines beginning Friday, June 30, 2006 Cuvee will be closed Tuesday, July 4th. Chateau Grande Cassagne 2005 Rose Spy Valley 2004 Gewurztraminer Cold Heaven 2005 Viognier(Le Bon Climat) Rocca 2002 Barbera Bishop’s Peak Rock Solid Red Domaine de Saint Siffrein 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Beer: Mt Carmel Copper (Cincinnati)
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-3 PM 2003 Elk Horn Pinot Noir 2003 Temptation Zinfandel 2005 Cavit Riesling (New to Area) And a Summer Surprise!
B. R. Scotese Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:30 pm Wines from Wildhurst 2005 Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Chardonnay 2004 Merlot 2004 Syrah 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon plus 2004 Carneros Creek Rams Head Pinot Noir The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The July dinner will feature cold water fish entrée. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, July 1, 2006 1am-5pm 2004 Selzer Gottesgarten Riesling Spatlese Trocken, 2002 Chateau Marquis de Vauban Cotes de Blaye, 2001 Lan Rioja Crianza, 2003 Chateau Vergnes-Beaulieu Red Bordeaux, 2003 Chateau La Grave Milon Lussac-Saint Emilion
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com Friday, June 30th – 5-7:30 pm ~ Holiday Weekend Drop-in Tasting ~ Little Sonoma Favorites Saturday, July 1st, - 4-6 pm ~ Holiday Weekend Wines ~ Drop-in Tasting. Wines great for picnics, boating and parties!
Trader Joe’s - Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8 Espiral (2004): DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal Falcon Ridge Chardonnay (2004): AVA Sonoma County Jackaroo Shiraz (2003): Southeast Australia
Winds Café Wine Tasting Join Winds for their Rosé wine tasting on Friday, July 7th at 7pm. Wines will be accompanied by food from the Winds’ kitchen.
Call 937-767-9441 for reservations.
L’Auberge Tuesday, July 4, 2006 @ 7PM No tasting. Happy 4th!
Grapes of Ruth Wines available for tasting June 30, Kit Fox Viognier Samantha Star Chardonnay Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Rose Grove Street Pinot Noir Clos Sixte Lirac GSM Black Chook Shiraz Robert Pecota Merlot Worthy Cabernet Sauvignon
Kinkead Ridge Winery Open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ripley at 904 Hamburg Street, (937) 392-6077. July 4th hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m Labor Day weekend (September 1 and 3) the 2004 red wines will be released. Meet the winegrower in the vineyard. July 1 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. No restrooms at the vineyard.
The Winery at Versailles Schwartzbeeren and Trio available on June 30th.
Steak Fry on Saturday, July 15th at 5:00 p.m. Please call (937) 526-3232 for reservations. Cost is $50 per couple and includes all food, a bottle of wine from a selected list tax and gratuity.
WINE TASTING - July 21st, 7 to 9 p.m. The wine tasting in itihe vineyard will include a Vineyard Walk, to visit the new vines. Reservations are required.
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Raise a glass, share a story in memory of Diamond Creek founder Al Brounstein
Red Rock Terrace. Gravelly Meadow. Volcanic Hill.
If those words strike a chord with you, you know Diamond Creek wines and the amazing handiwork of winery founder Al Brounstein, who died Monday, according to this Napa Valley Register story. Also, Decanter.com wrote a story about Mr. Brounstein’s passing.
I stilll have very fond memories of a 1984 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace that I cellared for several years and uncorked in the mid-1990s. It was one marvelous bottle of wine — California Cab at its best.
Do any of you have a fond Diamond Creek memory? Anyone ever meet Mr. Brounstein?
Thanks, and raise a glass to a wine pioneer …
Mark Fisher
P.S. over at Wine Sediments today, fellow newspaper journalist and wine columnist Fredric Koeppel, author of Koeppel on Wine, writes a provocative piece on “Pinot Abuse.” Click on the “Wine Sediments” link in the previous sentence to view …
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New wine shop poised to open; state eyes wine pricing
First of all, my colleague Joanne Huist Smith reports in the Dayton Daily News today about a new wine shop and deli that is poised to open in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District. Does anybody know anything more about this shop and what goodies it may have in store for us local wine enthusiasts? The story reports the shop will open in about three weeks, but also mentions the state liquor license allowing the shop to sell wine hasn’t been issued to the owners yet. That process, according to those who have been through it, can be positively nightmarish. Hope all goes as scheduled.
Second, for a follow-up to yesterday’s post about Ohioans soon being able to take leftover wines from restaurants and the reaction of local restaurateur Amy Haverstick and of Ohio wineries, see my story on page A4 of this morning’s Dayton Daily News or click here.
Third, it appears that Eric Fingerhut’s prediction in Uncorked may be coming true: the state is seeking to force out-of-state wineries that ship to Ohio to mark up their wines by the state minimum markups, according to this Columbus Dispatch story. The campaign contributions detailed in the Dispatch story prompted my fellow blogger and Wine Sediments contributor Tom Wark to say a thing or two about the subject in an entry this morning entitled “The Ugly Underbelly of Wine & Politics.”
Thanks for reading, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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‘Merlot to Go’ bill wins approval
Back in March, I posed a question to readers of Uncorked: Should Ohioans be able to take leftover wine home from restaurants? You folks had plenty to say: Such a proposal would encourage moderation — no more need to finish the bottle to avoid wasting money — AND it would increase sales and profits for restaurants. A win-win.
But really, we thought it’d never happen, right? I mean, after all, this is Ohio.
Well, it HAS happened. Gov. Taft has just signed into law a proposal that will allow restaurant patrons to take home their leftover wine, as long as it’s sealed and placed into the trunk (or the back seat for those cars without trunks). The measure was nicknamed the “merlot-to-go” proposal.
To learn more, read this analysis of Senate Bill 131 prepared by Ohio’s Legislative Service Commission. Gov. Taft didn’t have too much to say about the bill when he signed it — but he signed it.
But don’t rush out to your favorite dining-and-watering hole just yet. The new law takes effect 90 days after the governor’s signature — on or about Sept. 18th, by my count. (The Ohio Restaurant Association says Sept. 20th, but I suspect they counted three months instead of 90 days. I’ll clarify that as September approaches.)
And on that magical date, here is what will be the law of the land in the state of Ohio, written in the usual Ohio Revised Code legalese, but you can glean the meaning: (please click on “continue reading”)
“E) An opened bottle of wine that was purchased from the holder of a permit that authorizes the sale of wine for consumption on the premises where sold is not an opened container for the purposes of this section if both of the following apply:
(1) The opened bottle of wine is securely resealed by the permit holder or an employee of the permit holder before the bottle is removed from the premises. The bottle shall be secured in such a manner that it is visibly apparent if the bottle has been subsequently opened or tampered with.
(2) The opened bottle of wine that is resealed in accordance with division (E)(1) of this section is stored in the trunk of a motor vehicle or, if the motor vehicle does not have a trunk, behind the last upright seat or in an area not normally occupied by the driver or passengers and not easily accessible by the driver.”
In other words, you won’t be violating Oho’s open-container law when you bring your leftover wine home from restaurants.
I’ve got to admit, I’m pleasantly surprised. But now that the legislators and governor have tossed us this crumb of common sense, what do you suppose they’re conspiring to take away?
Just kidding, just kidding (I think). Kudos to Ohio’s lawmakers for doing the right thing. And thank you.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Would a place like Chicago’s Bin 36 fly in Dayton?
Just got back from a weekend in Chicago (photo above by Julie Fisher taken Friday night from the John Hancock Tower’s observation deck), and a visit to a local establishment got me thinkin’. And Lord knows, that’s a dangerous thing.
Chicago’s Bin 36 borrows elements from Dayton-area establishments such as Jay’s, Cuvee and the now-defunct Bin 130 and puts them on the steroids that only a vast metropolitan area such as Chicago can provide. Still, I can’t help wondering whether such a place would thrive in Dayton — maybe even downtown or in the neighboring Oregon district.
Bin 36 offers flights of wines set up for direct comparisons, such as this flight of four wines: two sauvignon blancs, one French and one Californian, along with two chenin blancs, one South African and one French (the South African chenin from Ken Forrester was particularly delicious). Other flights include Italian vs. Spanish whites, and Bordeaux vs. Washington State reds.
The place has a full lunch and dinner menu and remains open all afternoon as well, and it offers a “cheese flight” to go along with your wine flights: two goat’s-milk cheeses from Wisconsin and New York State, two sheep’s milk cheeses from Spain and Italy, and two cow’s milk cheeses from California and Spain. Those and other cheeses are avilable in individual portions as well.
And Bin 36 sponsors wine classes with an attitude. Here’s a taste of the approach that the place takes toward its wine education program:
“MOM ALWAYS SAID YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO SCHOOL
BIN School, our continuing education in wine, is like no other class you’ve attended. Fun, irreverent and tasty, you’ll learn about wine and more before you realize what’s happening. Start with Wine Basics, Wine 101 and Wine 102, then graduate to other classes and seminars. BIN School will make you dream fondly of those carefree youthful days without bosses, lost emails or missed deadlines. You’ll be begging for homework.”
The introductory class is entitled “Getting Friendly with Your Bottle.”
Fun stuff, interesting concept, definitely a place to drop in on next time you’re in downtown Chicago. What do you think: Would a place like this fly in Dayton? Or — only in Chicago?
Just wonderin’ …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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What’s Tickling Our Taste Buds In and Around Dayton, Ohio
First of all, many MANY thanks for the great stories you shared with Uncorked and Wine Sediments about your savviest and luckiest wine purchases. Scroll down to the previous entry and click on “Read comments” to read some highly entertaining tales.
Second, I pass along today, courtesy of a local wine listserve, the weekend tastings. I’m a tad tardy with these, my apologies — I’m in Chicago for a quick weekend with my family and my wife’s in-laws. Y’know, this is a heckuva wine town ….
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
Click on “continue reading” to view wine-tastings list…
Jay’s Kitchen Door Friday, June 23, 2006 4-8 pm 2004 Spring Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2002 Louis Latour Marsannay 2002 Escudo Rioja NV3 Cain Cuvee 2003 Casa Latostolle Clos Atalta
Saturday, June 24, 2006 1-6 pm 2004 Carbonnieux 2000 Weinart Malbec 2002 Bella Novello Cabernet 2002 Chateau Gruaud Larose
Arrow – Kettering Saturday, June 24, 2006 11-4 pm 2005 Chateau Grand Cassagne Rose 2004 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Kenwood Pinot Noir 2003 Domaine Royere ‘Loppidum’ 2001 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Cyrus (Alexander Valley Bordeaux style blend)
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, June 23, 2006 5-8pm Ventana 2004 Rose Toasted Head 2004 Pinot Noir Earthquake 2003 Cabernet A to Z 2003 Claret Havens 2001 Merlot Brown Bag!
Saturday, June 24, 2006 1-6pm Ribeauville Riesling 2004 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay 2002 Barnett 2004 Pinot Noir Ciacci Piccodomini 2002 Fabius (Tuscan) Quipe Syrah 2002 Cenit 2003 Crianza Bonus Bottle!
Beer: Bass Pub Pour Sierra Nevada Summertime Ale
DLM Washington Square Thursday, June 22, 2006 5-8pm
Saturday, June 24, 2006 12-5pm 05 Kinkead Ridge Revelation ’04 Melville Chardonnay ’03 Ortman Family Sangiovese ’04 Chateau des Tourettes Syrah ’02 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, June 23, 2006 3-7pm Chateau Montelena Chardonnay Silver Sangiovese Wildhorse Pinot Noir Steltzer Cabernet
Saturday, June 24, 2006 12-5pm Whitford Chardonnay Fiddlehead Pinot Noir Cenit Merryvale Profile 01
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines beginning Friday, June 23, 2006 Fritz Windisch 2005 Riesling River Village Cellars 2005 Viognier/Roussanne Blend by Kinkead Ridge Geografico 2005 Vernaccia di San Gimignano Rubiro 2003 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Dunham Cellars 2004 Three Legged Red Barnwood 2004 Petite Sirah Beer: Mt Carmel Copper (Cincinnati) Food: Roast Duck, Italian Sausage
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-3 PM 2005 Mandra Rossa Fiano 2005 Piedmonte Moscato d’Asti 1997 Dezzani Il Barbaresco
B. R. Scotese Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:30 pm
The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The July dinner will feature cold water fish entrée. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, June 24, 2006 1am-5pm 2005 Catullio Pinot Grigio 2003 Cave de Tain Syrah 2004 3-Rings Shiraz 2001 Luna Merlot 2003 Root::1 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Brown Brothers Tarrango
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com Friday, June 23, 6-8 pm ~ Italian Night at the Café, food, wine & music! Saturday, June 24, 4-6 ~ Rieslings Revisited
Trader Joe’s - Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8
L’Auberge Tuesday, June 27, 2006 @ 7PM Sicilian wine tasting: -Donnafugata Anthilia 2004 -Cusumano Angimbe 2004 -Donnafugata Tancredi 2003 -Cusumano Segana 2003 -Donnafugata Ben Rye 2003
Grapes of Ruth Wines available for tasting June 23, Kit Fox Viognier Samantha Star Chardonnay Laurent Miquel Cinsault Syrah Rose Grove Street Pinot Noir Clos Sixte Lirac GSM Black Chook Shiraz Robert Pecota Merlot Worthy Cabernet Sauvignon
Kinkead Ridge Winery Open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ripley at 904 Hamburg Street, (937) 392-6077.
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What was the best wine purchase YOU ever made — of a mispriced bottle?
You’ve heard of Twin Peaks. Well, I’m into Twin Posts.
Today on Wine Sediments I ask readers for their savviest (or luckiest) wine purchase, in the remarkable clarity of 20-20 hindsight. Here on Uncorked, I want to pose the question a little differently: What was the best purchase of wine you’ve ever made of a mispriced bottle?
Me first, me first.
Way back when, there was, for a relatively short time, a wine shop in the Cross Pointe shopping center (in suburban Dayton, btw). I was nosing around in there in the late 1980s or so (if memory serves) and I stumbled across a 1983 Ch. Guiraud, a very respectable Sauternes from a very respectable vintage. And it was marked $7.99 — clearly incorrect. My strong hunch is the bottle was priced at the level that Guiraud’s dry white wine was priced — but this was the late-harvest, amber-gold nectar that usually went for four times as much.
The right and correct thing to do would have been to alert the shop owner of the error. But the only person working at the shop on that particular night was clearly NOT the shop’s owner. The wrong and incorrect thing to do was to rationalize that the mistake had been made elsewhere — and to buy the wine. Quickly.
I wrestled with my conscience for a nanosecond or so and spoke up to ask the clerk — if perhaps there were any more bottles in the back. I wanted to buy every last available bottle.
She checked. Nope. Just the two bottles on the shelf. Sold!
I drank one right away — I had to — and kept the other for several years, with its $7.99 store price tag, before it too succombed to a corkscrew.
Yes, I’m ashamed, all right? But hey — I confessed.
So now, dear readers, how about you? Did you ever pounce on a mismarked bottle? Time to ‘fess up.
And don’t forget to drop in on Wine Sediments to tell us about your savviest, luckiest — and correctly priced — bargain purchase.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Three Ohio Wines take on the world and win in Paris-like taste test
It’s been 15 years since the last Ohio Wine Challenge, and let’s make one thing clear at the outset: Just to try anything like this takes a lot of Chutzpah.
Sure, Ohio wines have improved in the last decade and a half — in both reputation and in the glass — but to pair them against some of the world’s best (and more expensive) wines, in a head-to-head tasting competition, well … let’s just say the expectations can’t be that high for Ohio against that level of competition.
And yet three out of 10 Ohio wines were selected as favorites of the tasting panel, according to a summary of the 2006 Ohio Wine Challenge by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. And as the Ag/Grape Industries folks point out in their news release (the detailed matchups and score sheets are at the bottom of that news release), in five more matchups, Ohio wines came very close to the competition — a moral victory of sorts, given that the total price tag for the 10 Ohio wines … (please click on “continue reading”)
…was $219, while the competitor wines cost $427.
“Our wines have achieved a level of quality where we’re ready to compete against wines from around the world. The results show that we do indeed have comparable quality,� said Fred L. Dailey, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
This wasn’t quite the “shock-the-world” result that Dailey and the rest of the Ohio ag folks were hoping for — and which they got back in 1991, in a tasting held at the Dayton Art Institute. That time, Ohio wines “won” 9 of 14 matchups, and I wrote at the time that the event “shattered some long-held stereotypes about wines produced in the Buckeye state.”
I participated in that 1991 event as one of the 8 judges, and my palate was somewhat less enchanted with the Ohio wines than the panel’s: I had Ohio wines winning four of the 14 matchups, with two ties. Still, given the preconceptions and the prices of the wines involved, the event was a real eye-opener for me at the time. This time around, the judging panel (significantly upgraded since it didn’t include me…) consisted of Matthew Citriglia, a Master Sommelier and fine wine sales director for an Ohio wine wholesaler; David McMahon, wine director and sommelier for Jason’s, a Columbus restaurant; O’Kennard of the Beverage Tasting Institute; and Sue-Ann Staff, winemaker for Pillitteri Estate Winery in Ontario, Canada.
That panel preferred the 2004 Kinkead Ridge Ohio River Valley Viognier-Roussanne over a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape; a 2001 Busch-Harris Ohio Cabernet Sauvignon a Napa Valley cabernet from Stag’s Leap Cellars that costs twice as much; and the 2005 Ferrante Golden Bunches Grand River Valley Dry Riesling over a German Riesling.
Acutally, that last pairing may deserve a bit of an asterisk: the “other team’s” entry, a 2004 Lietz Dragonstone Riesling from Germany, was an off bottle, with an excessive sulfur aroma, the tasting’s organizers acknowledged. A backup bottle had the same flaw. I’ve had that wine three or four times in recent months and loved it, and none had the excessive sulfur, so I can’t imagine the wine from any of the bottles I tasted receiving the lowest score of among all 20 wines evaluated.
Still, no matter how you parse it, this was a great thing for Ohio and for Ohio’s wines (and we shouldn’t wait another 15 years to do it again!). Coupled with the success that Ohio wines have had in recent international competitions, the event shows that wine enthusiasts shouldn’t be quick to dismiss Ohio wines as a worthy dinner table companion.
Don’t be one of those Ohioans who can’t see the vineyard for the vines — especially when the vines are in your own backyard.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
P.S. Check out the interesting piece by Betty Carlson today over at Wine Sediments on French winemakers going apoplectic when their own government chose as an essay topic for a national high school exam “Wine and its Dangers,” including impaired driving, water pollution, etc.
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Tempest in a teapot — or in this case, a Champagne bottle
Stop the presses and block the secondary fermentations: Jay-Z plans to boycott Cristal Champagne.
That’s because the rapper and record-company mogul took offense to remarks attributed to Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, the Champagne house that makes Cristal.
Jay-Z told the Associated Press that he would pull Cristal from his small chain of popular sports lounges — where bottles of Cristal sell for $450 and $600 — as well as from his personal flutes, the story says.
Never mind that if you read the piece carefully, you’ll note that the words that seemed to offend Jay-Z were not Frederic Rouzaud’s, but were the magazine writer’s words. Oh well, trivial details.
Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the rapper and the Champagne house will bask in the publicity this little tempest creates, and both will laugh all the way to the bank?
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And the winner of the second Uncorked caption contest IS …
“For Goodness sakes, you never listen to a word I say. I SAID that I didn’t “plan on this rain. The vines will be in peril�, NOT “stand on a drain and suck wine from a barrel�! � by MJ
MJ, your winning entry in the second Uncorked caption contest means you have earned our undying love and affection. And you won’t even have to pay taxes on your winnings!
Thanks for all who voted and to the 19 of you who submitted suggestions, and cheers!
Mark Fisher
(Photo by Brent Bamberger)
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Jerardi’s six-liter bottle stolen from the Fleurs de Fete is returned
(If you’re looking for the wine-tastings list, click here.
Eric Jerardi watched the stranger approach the counter of Jerardi’s Little Store Friday afternoon and wondered what he was carrying packed in styrofoam in a shopping bag.
“Can I speak to Eric Juh-car-dee?� the man asked.
Close enough, Jerardi figured, “That’s me.�
The man pulled out a six-liter bottle of Bordeaux, still full, cork intact — the giant bottle of red wine that belonged to Jerardi and which he last saw on his serving table at the Fleurs de Fete wine and food festival at Carillon Park on May 21st, right before it disappeared. The story of the stolen bottle appeared in the “Taste of Wine� column in Friday’s Dayton Daily News. The man said he had seen the article.
“All I’m going to tell you is that some young person who was inebriated made a mistake,� the man told Jerardi. “Please make sure the people at the Fleurs de Fete know that this has been returned to its owner.�
With that, the man turned, walked out of the store, climbed into his SUV and drove away.
“I was completely shocked,� Jerardi said. “Then I just laughed my ass off.�
“The power of the pen, man.�
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It’s not just Ohio — California has some stupid wine rules, too
When I was in Paso Robles earlier this month, my traveling compansions and I dropped by a wine shop and ordered a bottle of wine to split. But as soon as I got up from the little tasting bar, glass in hand, to walk over to the aisles and peruse the wine shop’s selection — we were the only ones in the store at the time — the shop’s employee nearly yelped at me. Seems California has a strict rule that customers can’t leave the tiny little confines of the tasting area and stroll around the store with a glass of wine in hand. Violators are shot on sight, if the store employee’s reaction was any indication.
I quickly complied — when in Rome and all that — but it did make me think, sheesh, maybe Ohio is more enlightened than California — at least in some of its wine rules. Who’daThunk?
So when you hit the Miami Valley’s wine-tasting trail this weekend, walk with dignity amongst the aisles, and be proud you’re a Buckeye!
The list below can tell you the best places to go. This wine-tasting list — which comes to Uncorked via a Dayton-based wine list serve — continues to grow, because our collective interest in wine here in southwest Ohio continues to grow, too. Don’t you just get a kick out of making out-of-town folks jealous? And not just because of our “liberal” wine laws?
Click on “continue reading” to access the full wine-tastings-and-events list, and cheers! Mark Fisher
Jay’s Kitchen Door Friday, June 16, 2006 4-8 pm 2004 Louis Jadot Chardonnay 2002 Qupe Nacido Hillside Syrah 2003 Cline Climate Syrah D’Alessandro Syrah 2003 Penfold’s RWT
Saturday, June 17, 2006 1-6 pm NV Mumm’s Blanc de Noir 2004 King Estate Pinot Noir Estate 2002 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah 2000 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet
Arrow – Kettering Saturday, June 17, 2006 11-4 pm 2003 Mezzo Giormo, Nero D’Avola 2003 Andeluna Chardonnay Reserve 2003 Andeluna Merlot Reserve 2003 Andeluna Malbec Reserve 2003 Andeluna Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003 Cadence “Taptiel� Red
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, June 16, 2006 5-8pm Edmond St John Pinot Grigio 2004 Earthquake Cabernet The Prisoner Barnett Vineyards Pinot Noir 2004 Brown Bag!
Saturday, June 17, 2006 1-6pm Hexamer Reisling Nehe 2004 La Spinetta Nebbiolo 2004 And four more great wines! Bonus Bottle!
DLM Washington Square Thursday, June 15, 2006 5-8pm There will be no tasting due to the sold out Robert Pecota tasting! The Robert Pecota tasting will be held at the Dorothy Lane School of Cooking beginning at 6:00 pm.
Saturday, June 17, 2006 12-5pm 2004 MacRostie Wildcat Mountain Chardonnay 2003 Robert Weil Rheingau Weigut Spatelese 2002 Pineridge Crimson Creek Merlot 2002 Vina Robles Petite Sirah 2002 Lane Tanner Syrah Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, June 16, 2006 3-7pm Edmunds St. John Pinc Froid Silver Pinot Noir Chateau St Jean Merlot Cyrus
Saturday, June 17, 2006 12-5pm Domaine Caillot Meursault Goldeneye Pinot Noir Stags Leap Merlot St Supery Dollarhide 01
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines beginning Friday, June 16, 2006 Prosecco Craftsman 2004 Kiralyleanyka [Kee-rye-lay-ohn-kha] Kinkead Ridge 2005 Revelation Melville 2005 Estate Viognier (Verna’s)
Vinas de Vila Tinto Fundacion Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Vina Borgia 2005 Campo de Borja Grenache Danjean Berthoux 2004 Givry 1er Cru La Plante Beckman 2003 Purisima Syrah Beer: Mt Carmel Copper (Cincinnati) Food:
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-3 PM 2005 Chateau Cadillac-Branda White Bordeaux 2002 Jocelyn $ Lonen Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Cheeky Chick Pecker’s Blend 2004 Cheeky Chick Peeper’s Blend
B. R. Scotese Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:30 pm Scotese’s featuring wines from Ventana Vineyards, 2004 Dry Rosada 2004 Gewurtzramner 2003 Chardonnay 2003 Pinot Noir 2001 Merlot 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Due Amici The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays!
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The July dinner will feature cold water fish entrée. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, June 17, 2006 1am-5pm 2004 Hedge’s CMS White 2004 Dunham Three Legged Red 2004 Bishop’s Peak Rock Solid Red 2003 Ventana Cabernet/Sangiovese 2002 Estancia Meritage
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Thursday, June 15th, 5-8 pm Salsaritas Fresh Mex Buffet with Spanish Wines, reservations are requested by calling Little Sonoma at 942-Wine
Friday, June 16th, 7 pm “!@#%#@!� Merlots!
Rich Collins will present Merlots. Five wines & appetizers, Reservations recommended by calling 942-Wine (9463). The wines to be tasted include: Rays Station Merlot Yangarra Park Merlot Benziger Merlot Matanzas Creek Merlot Atalon Merlot
Saturday, June 17th, 4-6 pm Wines of Chateau St. Michelle
Trader Joe’s - Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8 Dr. Beckermann Riesling (2005): QbA Piesporter-Michelsberg, Germany Valreas Cuvee Prestige (2004): AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages, France Black Mountain Painted Ridges Pinot Noir (2002): California
L’Auberge Tuesday, June 20, 2006 @ 7PM Ferrari Cerano Wines 2005 Fume Blanc 2004 Chardonnay 2003 Siena 2003 Cabernet
Grapes of Ruth WINES THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR TASTING FRIDAY, JUNE 16 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc Dry Creek Chardonnay Cusumano Rosato Luna Merlot Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Dry Creek Zinfandel Laetitia Pinot Noir
Kinkead Ridge Winery Open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ripley at 904 Hamburg Street, (937) 392-6077.
Chin’s Ginger Grill Thursday, June 15 at 7:00PM Chin’s Ginger Grill’s wine tasing will feature five Cabernet Sauvignons, including Chimney Rock, Hess Estate, Moon Mountain Estate, Oak Vineyards and Sebastiani. The wine tasting will be a blind tasting in a dinner format featuring an entree of Wok-Seared Beef with Shitake Mushrooms and Asparagus. The dinner also includes an appetizer, salad and dessert (a vegetarian meal is available as well). The date and time for this event is Thursday, June 15 at 7:00PM. The cost is $40.00 per person (tax and tip not included). Please call 937-667-6664 for reservations or more details.
Wind’s Café – Yellow Springs Barolo/Barbaresco Tasting Friday, June 16 – 7 p.m. Vintner Select’s Todd Nikolai will provide an educational and informative tasting of Italy’s legendary wines. Chef Kim will be pairing dishes from the Winds kitchen. Reservations 937.767.9441
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Uncorked readers responded, now it’s time to vote
Your suggestions are in for the second Uncorked Caption Contest, so not it’s up to me to choose the finalists ( as you can see, I had a difficult time doing THAT) and for you to choose the winner. Got a favorite that didn’t make the cut? Feel free to submit a write-in vote — or even a new submission, if the muse strikes you. Goodness knows, these wine blogs are a living, breathing thing. Anyway, here’s the photo again, and see below for the list of finalists:
1) “Oops!! I wonder if backwash is an additive?” by Jen
2) “Checking for weapons of mass destruction� by Mel
3) “To prove I’m not drunk, I’ll gladly blow in to this breathalyzer� by Rick D.
4) “And you thought saving a few bucks siphoning the neighbor’s gas tank was tough!” by Mike
5) “For Goodness sakes, you never listen to a word I say. I SAID that I didn’t “plan on this rain. The vines will be in perilâ€?, NOT “stand on a drain and suck wine from a barrelâ€?! ” by MJ
6) “I thought there was a prize at the bottom” by Annie
Click on “Post your comment” to vote, and thanks for reading!
Mark Fisher
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Caption Contest! What IS that winemaker doing in the privacy of his own barrel room?
Sometimes, climbing around the barrel room and using a “wine thief” to make sure all of the wines are developing as they should (even in those hard-to-reach barrels) requires a bit of dexterity, as Adelaida Cellars winemaker Terry Culton proves in the photo above.
An image like this also gives Uncorked its second opportunity for a CAPTION CONTEST! Step right up, ladies and gents …
Me first, me first:
— ’50s entry: “Just like Maxwell House, Adelaida Cellars wines are good to the last drop!”
— ’70s entry: “It’s just like my bong back in college — only different!”
— PG-13 entry: “Hey, this is as much fun as a guy can have in Paso Robles”.
What kinds of captions are fermenting in YOUR ample brains? Remember, we’ll put the best suggestions to a vote later this week, perhaps Thursday, and the winner will receive, just as Niki did … our undying love and affection!
Thanks for reading (and participating), and cheers!
Mark Fisher
(Photo by Brent Bamberger)
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A vast sea of wine, destined for your gas tank
The magnitude of wine referenced in the following story boggles my mind. Check out this Times of London story that opens with:
“The unquenchable desire of Britons for New World wines has forced Brussels to order nearly a billion bottles of French and Italian wine to be turned into fuel and disinfectant. … The drastic measures to drain Europe’s swelling wine lake come as winemakers across the Continent face a seemingly unstoppable invasion of cheaper and more consistent wines from Australia, Chile, the US and South Africa. Wine critics say it is an inevitable result of French wine producers not adapting to demand.”
A billion bottles. Put another way by the New York Times, the amounts in question are 79 million gallons of French wine and 69 million gallons of Italian wine that no one wants to buy.
Wow.
Stop back tomorrow for our second “caption contest” — and this one, thankfully, doesn’t have me in the picture …
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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A veritable cornucopia of wine-tasting largesse
As you know, we copy and paste our wine-tasting information from a local wine list serve, which does all of the hard work in compiling it (thank you thank you thank you!). Sometimes I pretty it up a bit, sometimes I don’t, and today, I’ll let its natural beauty shine through, ‘cuz I’m busy preparing for my son’s graduation open house (woo hoo!). But I’ll say this: Looks like there will be some mighty fine opportunities to explore the world of wine right here in our backyard this weekend and later this month. Click on “continue reading” to view the list, and cheers! Mark Fisher
Nova House Benefit Car Wash (directions on Wilmington Ave, close to the Wayne Ave intersection) every Saturday, 12-4 and Sunday, 1-4. Hand wash, reasonable prices.
Jay’s Kitchen Door Friday, June 9, 2006 4-8 pm 2004 Louis Latour Pinot Noir 2002 Raphet Chambolle Musigny 2003 Domaine Arlaud Gevrey Chambertin 2002 Dark Horse Cabernet
Saturday, June 10, 2006 1-6 pm Elk Horn Pinot Noir 2002 Bocquenet Nuits St. Georges 2002 Duckhorn Cabernet
Arrow – Kettering Saturday, June 10, 2006 11-4 pm 2002 Beaucanon Chardonnay 2003 Wilhelm Bergmann Beerenauslese 2003 Guy Chaumont Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise 2003 Bodegas Iranzo Vertus Crianza
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, June 9, 2006 5-8pm Anakena Chardonnay 2005 Domaine Christian Moreau Gran Cru Chablis 2004 Oberon Cabernet 2001 Chateau Dourthe No. 1 2002 Chateau Reysson 2002 Brown Bag!
Saturday, June 10, 2006 1-6pm Savoie Abymes 2004 Ercavio Blanco 2005 Museum Rioja 2001 Baron De Ley Gran Reserva Rioja 1996 Manfredi Aglienico 2000 Baron De Ley Monasterio Rioja Bonus Bottle!
Beer: Unibroue 15 Greene King Olde Suffolk English Ale
DLM Washington Square Thursday, June 8, 2006 5-8pm ’05 Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc
’01 Maison Champy Santenay Clos Geuet
’03 Santa Ema Merlot
’04 John Duval Plexus GSM
’03 Il Sasso Mystery Bottle
Saturday, June 10, 2006 12-5pm ’05 Muga Rose
’04 Christian Moreau Chablis
’04 Razor’s Edge Shiraz
’01 Qupe Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah
’03 Kaiken Ultra Malbec
’03 Earthquake Cabernet Sauvignon Mystery Bottle!
Thursday June 15. 2006 Robert Pecota will be at DLM Washington Square for a tasting. All five of his wines will be paired with small plates from our very own Chef Carrie Walters. Tickets are $45.00 per person and reservations are required, contact the Washington Square wine shop, 434-1294.
Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, June 9, 2006 3-7pm Muga Rose Muga Blanco Rioja Domaine de Atauta Corullon
Saturday, June 10, 2006 12-5pm Fiagre Bianco Paolo Scavino Barolo Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino Banfi Summus
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines beginning Friday, June 9, 2006 Domaine Labbe 2004 Abymes Robert Sinskey 2005 Vin Gris, Rose of Pinot Noir Pala 2004 Crabilis Definitive 2004 Chardonnay Kunde 2001 Zinfandel Vino de Vila 2003 Tinto Fundacion (Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet) Kaiken 2004 Malbec Laurel Glen Vale la Pena Malbec
Beer: Avery Brewing karma (Belgian Style Ale) Food: BBQ Lamb Sandwiches with Chipotle Mango Sauce
Juno Winery of South Africa Wednesday, June 21 5-7 PM No reservations required.
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-3 PM 2002 Anakena Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Anakena Merlot 2004 Anakena Chardonnay 2005 Graziano Rose Zinfandel Very Limited (Only 3 cases sold into Ohio)
B. R. Scotese Wednesday, June 14, 2006 4:30 pm The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays! Thorne & Clarke NV Sparkling 2003 Big Horn Cellars Camelback Chardonnay 2003 Big Horn Cellars Syrah 2001 Big Horn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tamarac Cellars Fire House Red Bookwalter Lot#20
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, June 10, 2006 1am-5pm 2004 Stags’ Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay 2005 Coriole Chenin Blanc 2005 Petalos Bierzo 2004 Vila Marija Merlot 2001 Kunde Estate Zinfandel 2001 Bighorn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com Friday, June 9th, 7 pm Mixing it Up with Blended Wines, reservations recommended. Wines to be tasted are: Lindauer Sparkling Brut Rosemont Traminer Riesling Sokol Evolution, Lucky #9 Houghton Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Primus Veramonte Sexto Terra Alta
Saturday, June 10th, 4-6 pm Stirrings Drink Mixes Sampling Stirrings Drink Mixes, including Mojitos, Cosmopolitans, Appletinis, Margaritas and Bloody Marys.
Next Thursday, June 15th, 5-8 pm Salsaritas Fresh Mex Buffet with Spanish Wines, reservations are requested by calling Little Sonoma at 942-Wine
Trader Joe’s - Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8 Contadino Pinot Grigio (2005): DOC Delle Venezie, Italy Black Mountain Fat Cat Cabernet Sauvignon (2003): California Manina Carmenere (2003): Chile
Madison’s Bistro Wine Dinner, June 91, 2006 7 pm. Featuring ROSENBLUM CELLARS 5531 Far Hills Ave Lamplighter Square
Between Rahn & Whipp Roads
937-435-7080 Make your reservations now!
L’Auberge Tuesday, June 13, 2006 @ 7PM Ferrari Cerano Wines 2005 Fume Blanc 2004 Chardonnay 2003 Siena 2003 Cabernet
Wright Patterson Air Force Base Club and Banquet Center For anyone interested with Base access, they are having a “mini” AleFest this Friday from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. Tickets are $25 for Club members and $35 for non, and includes tastings of over 75 craft beers, a nice selection of foods such as wursts, sausages, bbq ribs, grilled chicken, and assorted salads. It is held out-doors under tents with live music by Jim Merrick.
Grapes of Ruth Wines available for tasting June 2 Keller Estate Chardonnay Blanco Nieva Verdejo Napa cellars Merlot Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Plantagenet Shiraz Block 13 Pinot Noir San Fabiano Calcinaia Chianti Classico Newton Claret
Kinkead Ridge Winery Open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ripley at 904 Hamburg Street, (937) 392-6077.
June 11 4-6 Friends of Benham’s Grove at Garden Fest 2006*. For $25receive 10 tickets that entitle you to: 4:15-4:45 pm Old World Tasting 4:45-5:15 pm New World Tasting 5:15-6:00 pm Enjoy Wine With Friends
Admission to the event tent Seminar with local wine expert, Artie Bonnano Five wines from the old world and five wines from the new world Gourmet food presentation by Chef Paul from Chef Touch Catering Commemorative Garden Fest Wine Glass (Additional wine glasses available for purchase)
Inn at Versailles Michael Anthony’s and Wente Family Estates Dinner Friday June 9, 2006 6:30 p.m. $ 75.00 per person Reservations 937-526-3020 or email innatversailles@earthlink.net
Wenté Riesling Antipasti of grilled fresh fig & prosciutto Di Parma and Coppa with Cremon style mustard fruit
Murrieta’s Well Meritage White Arugula, Duck, & Strawberry salad with balsamic brown sugar vinaigrette and spicy pecans
Riva Ranch Chardonnay Rainbow Trout Delmonico
Charles Wetmore Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Double cut Pork Chop with fresh sauteéd baby spinach and micro greens
Ceago Muscat Canelli Bananas Foster “Our Way� The Winery at Versailles (937) 526-3232 www.wineryatversailles.com
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Adelaida Cellars, Paso Robles, and the inevitable Dayton connection
It doesn’t take long working at a newspaper in Dayton, Ohio to realize that everything seems to have a Dayton connection. If a train wreck in a remote section of Siberia injures two people, one will have some link to Dayton.
Mind you, Adelaida Cellars is no train wreck. But the stunning winery in Paso Robles, CA certainly does have a Dayton connection. Dr. Kedrin Van Steenwyk, the local physician who oversees an OB-GYN residency program for Kettering Medical Network/Grandview Southeview Hospitals, is the daughter of Adelaida’s founders, and Kedrin’s mother, Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, serves as Adelaida’s president, and general manager.
I spent some time at Adelaida last week — that picture of the beautiful view that appeared on Uncorked earlier this week and which is reprised at the bottom of this entry is from Adelaida’s Wedding Hill, and yes, I DID take the photograph, thankyouverymuch. It reminds me of a shot I took at Les Baux in Provence in summer 2001. Sigh….. Anyway, the occasion was a celebration that Adelaida threw to celebrate three young Ob-Gyns’ and the completion of their Dayton-based residency program as well as to mark some other milestones in the extended Van Steenwyk family.
It didn’t take long to realize this Paso Robles wine region is quite a place — and so is Adelaida Cellars and its surrounding vineyards. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s Kedrin:
“The area is growing and the land spectacular. It hasn’t lost its very natural appeal and has not yet been overly commercialized, probably because it’s not easy to get to — but that makes its allure even stronger.”
Amen to that. (And more on that in my post over on Wine Sediments today).
And the wines live up to the promise that the scenery suggests. Adelaida boasts the oldest pinot noir vineyard in the area — the HMR ranch, planted in a cool spot in the hills back in 1963. The vines produce a dark, concentrated pinot that retains its varietal character while delivering concentrated, well-balanced flavors. Winemaker Terry Culton has dialed back the new oak on Adelaida’s HMR Estate chardonnay to let the excellent fruit shine through.
As in the broader region of Paso Robles, Rhone varietals are slowly taking center stage at Adelaida. The winery’s Rhone white (roussanne-Grenache blanc blend) and Glenrose Vineyard Viognier and its broad array of syrahs and its red Rhone blend show great concentration of flavors, with ripe fruit balanced by stony minerality in the whites and a earthy-peppery note in the reds, all with refreshing acidity and lengthy finishes.
(Adelaida currently does not have a wholesaler in Ohio, but Ohioans as well as residents of many other states can now order directly from the winery, by the way. And yes, it’s legal.)
Winemaker Culton, who joined Adelaida in 2003, jokes that his only job is to not screw things up, since he’s working with grapes that come from high-quality vineyards. But he admirably avoids some of the excess that this region can afford its winemakers, some of whom yield to the temptation of extreme ripeness, extraction and alcohol. Terry’s touch is a light, deft one. (stay tuned to Uncorked for a future “caption contest” that features a photo of Terry in Adelaida’s barrel-aging room. It has GREAT potential for the brand of mischief that only Uncorked can provide …)
The region, and the winery, make for fine travel destinations. But please, if you’re from Dayton — stay off the trains.
Yes, they had to drag me onto the plane to leave this place, but I’m over it now. Really.
Photo by Mark Fisher
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A tiny slice of Paso heaven
I’m still organizing my notes & photos on the five-day visit to Paso Robles, CA, but wanted to share a few quick thoughts while the trip is fresh in my mind.
The Paso Robles area of central California is an extraordinary place, for many reasons.
First, it’s well off the beaten path of California wine country, which we midwesterners generally associate with Napa and Sonoma, north of San Francisco. Paso is 200 miles south of San Fran, or about the same distance north of Los Angeles, so it is not easily accessible to tourists. That makes it an excellent destination for true wine enthusiasts looking to experience an emerging wine country without the hordes of folks who cram into Napa and Sonoma tasting rooms.
Here, it’s still possible to order a bottle of wine at a local restaurant and then have the winemaker — who has just stopped in for dinner himself — drop by at your table to see how you like it. That happened the first night of my trip in Templeton, just south of Paso. And that’s just the sort of thing that might have happened in Napa or Sonoma — several decades ago. Much less likely to happen now.
Second, the soils, climate and topography of this region offer grape growers and winemakers some distinct advantages. Hot days ensure grapes will ripen, but cooling air that pours through the Templeton Gap brings the temperatures down every night to preserve the grapes’ acidity and to prevent the grapes from ripening too fast. As in nearby Santa Barbara County, this confluence gives winemakers lots of flexibility in when they pick their grapes and what style of wine they want to produce. Some winemakers here have pushed the ripeness to an extreme and have sacrificed some of their wines’ varietal character along the way. But most have exercised restraint, and their wines have benefitted from it. And the terrain — gently rolling hills to the east of U.S. 101, steeper hills to the west of the highway — provides plenty of microclimates where grapes of many varieties thrive.
The most stimulating and exciting wines coming out of Paso are Rhone varieteals, particularly stunning whites made from viognier, marsanne and rousanne. Many of these wines share a common and very appealing flavor profile: they offer up gorgeous, ripe fruit at first sip, then finish with a minerality and stoniness that lets the taster know they came from a special place. Among the reds, the syrahs show greater variety of style, with some peppery, Crozes-Hermitage-like versions alongside some ripe Shiraz-style behemoths. Zinfandels and cabernet sauvignon also flourish. None of the wines lack in concentration or flavor. Paso is not a land of wimpy wines.
So hang with me in the coming days and weeks while I put some more detailed pieces together for both the hold-it-in-your-hands Dayton Daily News and for Uncorked. There are indeed some fine stories to tell, and as always, there is a strong Dayton connection.
By the way, the photo above shows the view from Adelaida Cellars’ Wedding Hill. Hey, I told you Paso is an extraordinary place, didn’t I?
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
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What did YOU think of the Ohio WineFest?
As I try to dig out from the mountain of things to do that only a week away can bring, let me pose this question: did any of you take my Ohio wine challenge and attend the Market District Ohio WineFest that was held Friday and Saturday? Any impressions? I missed the event in its entirety, but I’d like to know how things went.
Thanks and cheers!
Mark Fisher
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Tastings, dinners and more
Please pardon my tardiness as I wrap up a swing through Paso Robles, CA. But this tastings list, which comes to us via a local wine listserve and is hastily cut and pasted today, makes me wish I was back home. Well, almost.
Cheers!
Mark Fisher
(Click on “conmtinue reading” to view tastings and events list)
Jay’s Kitchen Door Friday, June 2, 2006 4-8 pm 2004 Solitude Chardonnay (Carneros) 2002 Dark Horse Zinfandel 2002 Hess Select Cabernet 2003 Pride Merlot 2002 Folie Deux Cabernet
Saturday, June 3, 2006 1-6 pm NV Pierre Peters Bortolotti Prosecco 2004 Colli di Latio Fiano Di Avellino 2003 La Spinetta Chardonnay Cavallotto Dolcetto d’Alba
There are still openings for the June 3, 2006 Copper River Salmon Luncheon with Gordon Huller’s choice of Italian Wines (see above) 12:30 pm, $60 per person, call 222-2892 for reservations
Arrow – Kettering Saturday, June 3, 2006 11-4 pm 2001 B Crux (Argentina Red Blend) 2003 Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin Reserve des Seigneurs 2005 Sketchbook Pinot Noir and three additional great wines!
Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)
DLM Oakwood Friday, June 2, 2006 5-8pm Koehler-Rupricht 2004 Riesling Terlan 2005 Pinot Bianco Finca Flishen 2002 Malbec Silvio Grasso Nebbiolo 2002 Havana Hills Shiraz 1999 (South Africa) Brown Bag!
Saturday, June 3, 2006 1-6pm I’M (Mondavi) 2004 Rose (from Cabernet) Allan Scott (NZ) Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Jean-Claude Lapalu Brouilly 2004 Merryvale Starmont Merlot 2001 Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah 2002 Hendry Block 4 & 5 Pinot Noir 2003 Bonus Bottle!
Beer: Monchshof Kellerbrau La Chouffe Houblon Dobbden IPA Triple
DLM Washington Square
Thursday, June 1, 2006 5-8pm
’05 Ercavio Blanco
’01 Lion’s Peak Mourvedre
’01 Talomas Syrah
’03 McNab Ridge Petite Sirah
’01 Sezzana IGT Toscano
Mystery Bottle
Saturday, June 3, 2006 12-5pm
’04 Aubert La Chapelle Coteaux de Loire
’04 Racquillet Mercurey Bourgogne Rouge
’04 Jean Claude Lapalu Brouilly
’04 Chateau Coupe Roses Minervois
’00 Chateau La Mission Laville Bordeaux
Mystery Bottle!
Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, June 2, 2006 3-7pm Pietracolata Orvieto Sketchbook Pinot Noir Havens Black & Blue Hess Mount Veeder Cabernet
Saturday, June 3, 2006 12-5pm Simi Sauvignon Blanc Ramey Sonona Coast Chardonnay Rosenthal Merlot Shafer Cabernet
Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar, 4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook Tuesday – Thursday 11:30 – 7 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 – 8 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines beginning Friday, June 2, 2006 Alan McCorkindale 2002 Blanc de Blanc (New Zealand) Von Buhl Armand Riesling Domaine Guffens-Heynen 2004 Macon-Pierreclos
Chateau de Valcombe 2003 Costieres de Nimes Peirano Estate 2003 Barbera Tandem Winery NV Syrah
Beer: Avery Brewing Karma Belgian Style Ale
Food: To be announced.
EVENT: Juno Winery of South Africa Wednesday, June 21 5-7 PM No reservations required.
Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday 10-3 PM No Tasting this Saturday. See the Ohio Winefest Information!
B. R. Scotese Wednesday, June 7, 2006 4:30 pm The restaurant is no smoking on Wednesdays! La Ghersa 2004 Sivoy Crabilis 2005 Vermentino di Sardegna Donna Laura 2004 Bramosia Chianti Classico Bolgheri 2004 Poggio al Ginepri Colle dei Venti 2002 Barbara d’Alba Colle dei Vente 1999 Barolo
DiSalvo’s Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting – every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The Deli’s Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese
Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, June 3, 2006 1am-5pm 2004 Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2003 Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Equis Spanish Red 2000 Borsao Reserva Spanish Red 2004 Clos de los Siete Argentine Red 2001 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Little Sonoma, 6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069. 513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com
Friday Tastings have been moved to 7 pm for the spring/summer. Friday, June 2rd, 7 pm - Award Winning Australians Joe Clark with Vintage Wine will be sharing some awesome Australians. Six wines & appetizers. Reservations recommended.
Saturday, June 3th, 4-6 pm - Summer Chardonnays Taste different styles of Chardonnay from around the globe. Chilled whites are perfect for summer sipping!
Trader Joe’s - Town & Country Shopping Center, Kettering Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8 Honey Moon Viognier (2004): California Charles Shaw Shiraz (2004): California Zarafa Pinotage (2005): South Africa
Madison’s Bistro Wine Dinner, June 21, 2006 7 pm. Featuring ROSENBLUM CELLARS
5531 Far Hills Ave Lamplighter Square Between Rahn & Whipp Roads
937-435-7080
Make your reservations now!
L’Auberge Tuesday, June 6, 2006 @ 7PM
National City Ohio WineFest at the 2nd Street Public Market… Friday June 2 is Preview Night fro 5pm - 10pm Entertainment provided by Khalid Moss Adult Sampler—-$15 and includes: Entry into festival grounds Souvenir Wine Glass 10 Sampling tickets (additional tickets are $.50) Purchase wines by the glass
Designated driver/youth—-$5 and includes: Entry into festival grounds Purchase wines by the bottle for carry out only
Presale tickets may be purchased for $13 at: National City 2nd Street Public Market and Dayton National City branch locations
Saturday June 3 11am - 8pm Entry is FREE all day!! Featuring: 12 Award winning Ohio wineries Live music by Danny Voris, Tim Jennens, Bob Bo Jak, and Rum River Blend, Craft demonstrations by regional artisans Ohio wines by the sample, glass, or bottle and souvenir wine glasses. www.2ndstreetpublicmarket.com
Kinkead Ridge Winery Open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Ripley at 904 Hamburg Street, (937) 392-6077.
June 11 4-6 Friends of Benham’s Grove at Garden Fest 2006*. For $25receive 10 tickets that entitle you to: 4:15-4:45 pm Old World Tasting 4:45-5:15 pm New World Tasting 5:15-6:00 pm Enjoy Wine With Friends
Admission to the event tent Seminar with local wine expert, Artie Bonnano Five wines from the old world and five wines from the new world Gourmet food presentation by Chef Paul from Chef Touch Catering Commemorative Garden Fest Wine Glass (Additional wine glasses available for purchase)
Inn at Versailles Michael Anthony’s and Wente Family Estates Dinner Friday June 9, 2006 6:30 p.m. $ 75.00 per person Reservations 937-526-3020 or email innatversailles@earthlink.net
Wenté Riesling Antipasti of grilled fresh fig & prosciutto Di Parma and Coppa with Cremon style mustard fruit
Murrieta’s Well Meritage White Arugula, Duck, & Strawberry salad with balsamic brown sugar vinaigrette and spicy pecans
Riva Ranch Chardonnay Rainbow Trout Delmonico
Charles Wetmore Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Double cut Pork Chop with fresh sauteéd baby spinach and micro greens
Ceago Muscat Canelli Bananas Foster “Our Way� The Winery at Versailles (937) 526-3232 www.wineryatversailles.com
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