DaytonDailyNews.com

Springtime thoughts turn to the fermented juice of the grape

By Uncorked | Saturday, March 31, 2007, 06:15 AM

Wow, once again, lots of GREAT stuff going on this weekend and beyond … big-time California winemaker at Arrow, brewmasters at DLMs, mouth-watering snacks on Saturday at Cuvee to match with a selection of fine wines, a wine dinner upcoming at l’Auberge featuring the cuisine of Hungary and Bulgaria, another wine dinner down in the southern part of the valley that will pit California wines against French wines, a four-year vertical of Merryvale Profile at DLM Springboro, a new tasting schedule at Trader Joe’s, and tonight, a wine from one of the best winemakers on the planet, J.L. Chave from the Hermitage region of France will cross the lips of tasters who stop by at Jay’s Kitchen Door.

Good Golly Miss Molly, we are blessed.

All available for your viewing, planning and tasting pleasure with a click of the mousepad on the “continue reading” link, thanks to the nothing-less-than-heroic efforts of a Dayton-based listserv that compiles this information. Cheers!

Wine Tasting at the Dayton Philharmonic Show House by Sip’s Cafe Thursday May 10 - 6:00 - 7:30 Thursday May 17 - 6:00 - 7:30 www.dpva.org You must purchase a show house ticket - wine tasting is a $3.00 donation. Parking is at Sugar Camp on W Schantz Avenue. Free shuttles will run all evening. www.dpva.org for more information.

Jays Kitchen Door Friday, March 30, 2007 4-8 pm 2004 JL Chave Crozes Hermitage White 2002 Louis Jadot Nuits St George 2001 Merryvale Reserve Merlot 2002 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet 2002 Chateau Smith-Haut Lafite

Saturday, March 31, 2007 1-6 pm 2004 Chappellet Chenin Blanc 2002 Cristom Pinot Noir 2004 Hendry Block Zinfandel 2004 Shafor Cabernet

Arrow - Kettering Saturday, March 31, 2007 11-5 pm SPECIAL GUEST: DREW NEIMAN, will be here pouring: 2006 pomelo sauvignon blanc 2003 au bon climat chardonnay, nuits-blanches au bouge 2003 au bon climat white, hildegard 2005 au bon climat pinot noir, santa barbara 2005 joel gott cabernet sauvignon 2004 lagier meredith syrah

Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)

The brew masters from Barrel House will be in all three DLM stores this Saturday and DLM will tasting their beers to celebrate the Cincinnati Reds playing at 5/3 Field against the Florida Marlins.

DLM Oakwood Friday, March 30, 2007 5-8pm Artazuri Rose 2006 Dartung Kabinett Riesling 2005 August Briggs Zinfandel 2003 Red Mud Petit Verdot 2004 Arrowood Sonoma Cabernet 2001 Brown Bag

Saturday, March 31, 2007 1-6 pm Tavel Rose 2005 Domaine Bastidonne Viognier 2005 Longfellow Pinot Noir 2002 Carmody McKnight Merlot 2002 August Briggs Syrah 2004 Chateau Latuilerie (St. Emillion) 2003 Bonus Bottles

DLM Washington Square Thursday, March 29, 2007 5-8 pm 2005 Villa Simone Frascati 2005 Barnett Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2004 Jean Luc Dubois Savigny les Beaune 2001 Tedeschi San Rocco 2004 Palacios “Les Terasses” Priorat Mystery Wine!

Saturday, March 31, 2007 12-5 pm “Fifi Barely Remembers the 60’s” Tasting 2005 Handley Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Toasted Head Chardonnay 2002 Longfellow Pinot Noir 2004 Plungerhead Zinfandel 2005 Red Guitar Special Effects Wine!

Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, March 30, 2007 3-7pm 05 Volker Eisele White Wine 05 Glen Carlou Chardonnay 01 Long Meadow Ranch Cabernet 01 Showket Cabernet

Saturday, March 31, 2007 12-5 pm 02 Hanzell Chardonnay 99 Merryvale Profile 00 Merryvale Profile 01 Merryvale Profile 02 Meeryvale Profile

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 Wine Tasting Menu Friday, March 30 - Thursday, April 5, 2007 Geil 2005 Kabinett Riesling Inama 2005 Soave Classico Margan 2006 Shiraz Saignée (Rosé) Longfellow 2002 Pinot Noir Domaine Grand Veneur 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines Simi 2003 Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon Soos Creek 2004 Artist Series #4

Saturday Snacks: Oyster Shooters, Jerked Pork Loin with Black Beans and Mango, Spanish Style Escolar

Beer: Wooden Shoe Bock

Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, March 31, 2007 11 am - 5 pm 2005 Leitz Rudesheimer Klosterlay Kabinett… 2003 Martin & Weyrich Chardonnay… Canaletto Pinot Noir… 2004 Midnight Zinfandel… 2003 Spann Vineyards MoJo… 2001 Villalta Amarone

Trader Joes, Town & Country Kettering Trader Joe’s in Kettering at Stroop and Far Hills New Tasting Schedule for 2007: Thursday 6-8 and Sunday 4-7. Losen-Bockstanz Kabinett Riesling (2005) QmP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany. Bocce Pinot Grigio (2004) California. Bocce Zinfandel (2003) California. Recanati Kosher Merlot (2004) Galilee, Israel.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar ( at The Greene ) 937-320-9548 Wine Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm in the bar. There will be four different two ounce tastes every week and will provide different appetizers through out the night to pair with these wines. Features for Wednesday April 4, 2007 5pm to 7pm Chalk Hill, Chardonnay Russian River Valley Chalk Hill, 2002 Robert Sinskey, Pinot Noir Napa Valley Los Carneros, 2002 Oberon, Merlot Napa Valley, 2002 Fisher, Napa Valley Coach Insignia, 2001

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, March 30th, 7 pm French & Italian Wines, reservations recommended. Saturday, March 31st, 3-6 pm 2007 Cincinnati International Wine Festival Winners

Winds Cafe Yellow Springs Call 937-767-9441 to make reservations for events. March 30, 2007 7pm Spanish Wine class with tapas - reservations required.

Villa di Giovanni Wine Tasting! Wednesday, April 4, 2007, 1100 E. Dayton Yellow Springs Rd. 5-7 p.m. Canaeltto Pinot Grigio Brut, Primativo, Ner D’ Avula, La Mura Grillo, Villa Caffagio Chianti Classico

l’Auberge Restaurant l’Auberge is presenting its first Wine Dinner of 2007 on April 12th at 7pm, featuring, a pairing of ethnic foods and wines from Hungary and Bulgaria. Four courses, four wines- $75.00. 299-5536 for reservations.

FLEURS DE FETE DONATIONS needed!!! Fleurs de Fete, Sunday, May 20th from 1-4pm at Carillon Historical Park:

Fleurs de Fete is actively seeking donations from private individuals for the live auction. Enjoy a tax-deduction and recognition in the program booklet at the event (if desired.) Contact Laura Lanier (Wellness Connection) at 223-4117 ext. 112. Fleurs de Fete will feature over 300 wines and food samples from Dayton’s finest restaurants with the proceeds benefiting the Wellness Connection of the Dayton Region.

La Petite France 3177 Glendate-Milford Road Cincinnati, Ohio www.lapetitefrance.biz Call 513-733-8383

The restaurant presents a “Taste of France” featuring gourmet specialties from seven different regions of France on the last Friday of each month, they will offer a special three course dinner from the Alsace, Bordeaux, Brittany, Dijon, Normandy, Provence, and Toulouse regions of France.

On Friday evening, April 13th at 6:30 pm, La Petite France will host a wine dinner tasting entitled “California and French Side by Side Tasting”. The price is $60 per person. Aperitifs will be served at 6:30 pm.

Permalink | |

Taste of the Mediterranean

By Uncorked | Friday, March 30, 2007, 07:44 AM

In the Go section of this morning’s Dayton Daily News, I review the Taste of the Mediterranean restaurant located at State Route 725 and 741, just west of the Dayton Mall.

The Lebanese wines at the newly expanded (and dramatically remodeled — see the stunning photo in this morning’s paper) are surprisingly delicious, and the whole-fish preparations are among the best seafood entrees in town. If you’ve never been, or if you haven’t seen the “after” version, it’s worth checking out.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | |

Restaurants urged to embrace Ohio’s wine doggy-bag law

By Uncorked | Thursday, March 29, 2007, 06:59 AM

As Uncorked readers, you were in on the ground floor in more ways than one of the new “merlot-to-go” state law that allows restaurant customers to take home leftover wine in bottles. Heck, we even schooled a few restaurants about the legislation.

Now, the March edition of A La Carte, a newsletter produced by the Ohio Restaurant Association for its member restaurants, revisits the issue with an article entitled “Don’t leave money on the table: Take advantage of wine doggy bag laws.” A sub-headline reads, “Make sure your servers are knowledgeable, too.”

The story suggests it’s up to restaurants to educate their customers that they are, indeed, allowed to take home leftover wine. “It’s up to you to make them aware of the law, and if you do, you’ll see huge increases in the sale of bottled wines,” the story says.

Restaurants “risk losing a very valuable patron” if they don’t have the bags used to reseal bottles, says the article’s author, Bob Beck, who, it should be noted, does have a vested interest in the issue, since he’s the vice president of WineDoggyBag.com.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue Beck’s points. I suspect it will take some time for Ohioans to get used to the concept that they can order a bottle of wine that strikes their fancy, and if they want, drink just a glass or two from it and take the rest home to enjoy.

I’ve done that — quite successfully (finally) a few months ago at the Coldwater Cafe in Tipp City, with a fine bottle of Loire white. And it was a very good thing. Kind of — liberating, in a way.

Try it sometime, and if the restaurant balks, tell ‘em to take a look at their own trade association’s newsletter to learn more.

How’s the new law working for you?

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Federal grand jury investigates wine, beer wholesalers’ contributions to legislators

By Uncorked | Wednesday, March 28, 2007, 07:31 AM

Take a look at this Associated Press story entitled ‘Federal grand jury investigates wine, beer wholesalers’ contributions’ and tell me which of the following most closely matches your reaction:

A) “That’s disgusting, and those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.”

B) “Ho-hum, just sounds like business as usual — or perhaps politics as usual — to me.”

As for Ohio, last year brought quite a bit of controversy as wine wholesalers squared off in some cases against one another over proposed legislation that would have made several important changes to Ohio’s wine laws. The opposing groups formed coalitions that included the Coalition for Fair Wine Laws and the Ohioans for Choice and Competition. Things have been quiet lately, at least in terms of the public eye — which suggests to me that the action has “moved indoors” for now but will likely re-emerge later.

Can anybody shed some light on what might be coming in 2007 in terms of proposed changes in Ohio’s wine laws?

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

The true cost of what was lost in the flames

By Uncorked | Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 08:46 PM

There’s word that 58-year-old Mark Anderson — the suspect in the huge October 2005 wine warehouse fire in Vallejo, CA that destroyed an estimated $250 million worth of wine — has pleaded not guilty to one count of arson, four counts of interstate transportation of fraudulently obtained property, nine counts of mail fraud, one count of use of a fictitious name and four counts of tax evasion.

By the way, he posted $500,000 bond so he wouldn’t have to stay in jail while awaiting trial, but told the judge he couldn’t afford a private attorney. Hmm.

Anyway, amidst the legal proceedings, Uncorked reader Sunny Brown posted a rather poignant comment that came a few days after our ealirer report that a suspect had been charged. It deserves to be pulled out and spotlighted. Here’s what Sunny had to say:

I know that few people will read this comment, as it is on a blog that is at the end of it’s run on the uncorked homepage, but I want everyone out there to know exactly how serious this arson is. The 1st impression is to throw up your hands in mock pain and say “All that wine I could have drunk!” But I think the bigger picture here is lost. Scores of wineries held their wine in this warehouse. The entire stock of dozens of producers is gone forever. Back vintages, special bottlings, and in some cases actual businesses and dreams went up in flames that day. I personally know of three different wineries whose wines were not insured for a deliberate act such as arson. Many will recover, as their next vintage is finally ready to sell. Some have not and have closed up shop. That guy didn’t just burn wine when he set the fire to cover his theft, he burned hope and sweat and dreams. I for one hope that his punishment is equal to the magnitude of his crime though I know that it never can be.

Well said, Sunny.

The final verdict on Cincy WineFest — and a look ahead to Fleurs and more

By Uncorked | Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 06:53 AM

The reviews are in and the verdict is unanimous: The Cincinnati International Wine Festival rocked the house this year.

And that shows festival organizers were listening last year when some attendees criticized the meager food offerings of the 2006 festival. From the comments of festival-goers, it’s clear organizers took steps to correct the shortcoming. I’ll be checking with the festival folks to get attendance figures and find out how much was raised for the deserving Cincinnati-area charities, but all signs point to a very successful festival. And did I mention the wines? Well done all ‘round.

So now, let’s look ahead, first to the Fleurs de Fete, to be held Sunday, May 20, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Carillon Historical Park. Once again, there will be 300 or so wines available for sampling, and delicious bites provided by two dozen Miami Valley restaurants.

If this date isn’t circled on your calender already, get up from your computer right now and do so. This is the region’s premier wine-and-food event, and has gotten better each year for 16 years. The food alone at the Fleurs de Fete may well be worth the $50 advance ticket price ($60 at the gate), and the wines are varied and interesting. Once you pay to get in, everything else is free — the wines, the food, the jazz, even the wine glass. And the event’s proceeds go to a good cause.

But why wait until May for a wine event for a good cause? Check out “For the Love of Wine,” a benefit for Camp Emanuel, to be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Jay’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St. The event benefits a southwest Ohio summer camp for hearing-impaired and language-impared youth and for hearing youth. Here’s what event organizer George Punter has to say about the event:

For the Love of Wine Event at Jay’s please contact me at 436-3424 or Nan Crawford at 312-1012 for tickets and further imformation. Ticket prices are $55 for a single and $100 for couples. There will be good food and wines and one of the best silent auctions in Dayton. Space is limited to 120 people. This is our 32nd year.

Any other events coming up we should know about? Post a comment and let everybody know, and check back on Fridays for the full list of wine-related tastings, dinners and other events.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Another rock star tries his hand at winemaking

By Uncorked | Monday, March 26, 2007, 07:25 AM

No, it’s not me, although I do have some “basement tapes” of my high school buddies and myself delivering scorching renditions of “Takin’ Care of Business” and “Smoke on the Water.” That’s me playing bass guitar, through my stereo, since I couldn’t afford an amp. It’s hideous.

No, this time, the Rumours are true: Fleetwood Mac alumnus Mick Fleetwood is now a winemaker, making a line of “Mick Fleetwood Private Reserve” wines from Mendocino, Lake County and other California-sourced grapes, according to this Santa Rosa Press Democrat story. The story suggests that unlike some of his rock-star winemaker buddies, Mick is heavily involved in winemaking decisions.

If I were Mick, I’d bottle a Stevie Nicks Sangiovese, and tell wine drinkers they should age the wine for 16 years, then uncork it and drink it on …. (insert drum roll here) … The Edge of Seventeen.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Cincy WineFest in the spotlight — and under the microscope

By Uncorked | Saturday, March 24, 2007, 07:35 AM

I’m counting on Uncorked readers to fill us all in on how the Cincinnati International Wine Festival’s Grand Tastings went Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturning night. How’d it go?

I attended a Friday afternoon tasting for those involved in the wine business, and that experience is not the same as the Grand Tastings, so I’m not qualified to weigh in on the full experience. Did anybody go? What was your experience?

Here are a few broad observations about the wines:

— The California wine-producing regions of Paso Robles and Santa Barbara — which trail California “wine country” of Napa and Sonoma in terms of prestige and hype but are quickly narrowing the gap in quality — continue to impress. The Robert Hall Winery in Paso is producing some delicious reds, including the 2005 Rhone de Robles ($19.99). From Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Winery pinot noir and syrah and LaFond Winery pinot are delicious, as are the Rhone varietals such as Roussanne and Viognier from Zaca Mesa. Napa who?

— Ohio wines are also stepping up. Cincinnati-based Vinoklet Winery makes a dry white from Vidal Blanc grapes that it calls “Tears of Joy,” and while it didn’t prompt that extreme of a reaction, it was well-balanced and tasty. The Firelands Winery, located in Sandusky, produces a crisp and aromatic gewurtztraminer for a scant $8.49 a bottle. I’m tellin’ ya, if Ohio winemaking were a stock, I’d buy it.

— At the risk of making a sweeping generalization, the 2005 vintage in Europe — France and Germany in particular — is shaping up to be a dream vintage in which inexpensive bottlings are a significant cut above the normal and taste more like their more expensive brethren. I’ve formed that early impression based on German Rieslings and White Burgundies, but one of the first reds I’ve tasted from the ‘05 vintage — the 2005 Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Cotes-du-Rhone — did nothing to shatter the belief. It’s a $12.99 wine that could pose for a Gigondas. Although there certainly wasn’t a thing lacking in the 2004 Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes-du-Rhone ($15.99) or the 2004 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence ($14.99) either. It’ll be fun to compare the ‘05 versions of those wines with their excellent ’04s.

— Milla Handley from Handley Cellars is a breath of fresh air — down-to-earth and fun to talk to, with dazzling whites (and pinks) including the 2005 Pinot Noir Rose and the 2006 Gewurtztraminer, both $18.99.

— Wine values abound. Go to Arrow Centerville today and chat with Covey Run winemaker Kerry Norton and taste through his array of reasonably priced, high-quality wines from Washington State, including a 2003 Syrah for something in the neighborhood of $10. Or seek out an eclectic duo of bargain Spanish reds: 2005 Veroleon Grenache-Merlot and 2003 Encuentro Tempranillo, both $13.99 and drinking like they should cost much more.

The festival seems to be attracting greater numbers of winemakers, which is a positive sign. But enough of my wine babbling. What did you think of the Cincy WineFest?

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | Comments (6) |

Great wine, great food — what else is there?

By Uncorked | Friday, March 23, 2007, 07:14 AM

Plenty of fun on tap in the wine-tastings list, not only this weekend (Covey Run’s winemaker pouring at Arrow South), but also next week: Check out the Tuesday night tasting at Cuvee, which comes with the added bonus of Chris Cavender’s dishes to accompany the wines. Where else in the country can you enjoy Grilled Escolar on Asian Slaw, Braised Rabbit Tacos, Cabernet Beef Sandwich, and Double Dutch Chocolate Cake at a casual, drop-in, order-only-what-you-want tasting of premium Napa Valley wines?

Nowhere but Dayton, Ohio, dudes. (Well, Bellbrook, actually). Ain’t it cool?

Also today, check out the Lounge Lizards’ review of the Wine Galley & Cafe at Third and Wayne downtown.

Click below on “continue reading” to view the wine tastings and special events list, which comes to Uncorked via a local wine listserv. And for tastings and events in the Cincinnati area, check out Michelle’s blog at My Wine Education.

We’ll start critiquing the Cincy WineFest later this weekend, so stop back …

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Jays Kitchen Door Friday, March 23, 2007 4-8 pm 2005 Provenance Sauvignon Blanc 2002 Gigondas 2005 IL Nero di Casanova Sangiovese 2002 Chateau Phelan Segur 2003 Tiganello

Saturday, March 24, 2007 1-6 pm 2004 Chateau St Jean Le Petite Etiole Fume Blanc 2005 Chateau St Jean Pinot Noir 2004 Chateau St Jean Cabernet 2003 Tenuta Di Casteglioni

Arrow - Kettering Saturday, March 24, 2007 11-5 pm 2006 enotria moscato 2002 monte volpe primo rosso 2006 graziano chenin blanc 2002 enotria barbera 2004 dryer sonoma cabernet sauvignon 2004 nalle zinfandel, dry creek valley

Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)

DLM OakwoodFriday, March 23, 2007 5-8 pm De Clementine Rose 2005 Destino Russian River Chardonnay 2003 Sho Fly Aussie Salute 2005 Kokomo Cabernet 2004 Trilogy 2003 Brown Bag

Saturday, March 24, 2007 1-6 pm Gosset-Brabant NV Brut Destino Napa Valley Chardonnay 2004 Arcadian Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2003 Lirac Cote-du-Rhone 2003 Selvapiana Chianti Reserva 1999 Cosentino Cabernet 2002 Bonus Bottles DLM Washington Square Thursday, March 22, 2007 5-8 pm 2006 Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc 1993 Nikolaihof Riesling Smaragd 2004 Torrevento Saneros Salice Salentino 2004 Scagliola Frem Barbera d’Asti 2004 Haras Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Fattoria Scapone Brunello di Montalcino

Saturday, March 24, 2007 12-5 pm While Fifi’s away, it’s the boys turn to play! 2005 Astica Torrontes 2004 Destino Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2005 Cosentino CigarZin 2004 A to Z Night and Day Claret 2003 Destino Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 August Briggs Petite Syrah Brown Bag Special!

Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, March 23, 2007 3-7pm 05 San Pietro Pinot Grigio 04 Scagpiola Barbera d’Asti 03 Le Fonti Chianti Claasico Riserva 03 La Spinetta Pin

Saturday, March 24, 2007 12-5 pm 04 Honig Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 03 Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay 01 St. Supery Dollarhide 93 and/or 97 Beringer Reserve 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 Wine Tasting Menu Friday, March 23 -Thursday, March 29, 2007 BEX Riesling R & B Sauvignon Blanc Saint Gregory Pinot Blanc Arcadian Chardonnay A to Z Pinot Noir Red Mud Petite Verdot Aries Merlot Howell Mountain Bear & Lion Zin

Beer: Wooden Shoe Bock

Tuesday, March 27th 5-7 PM Drop-in Tasting at Cuvee Cuvée welcomes Scott Lloyd, representative for Frank Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, and Mike Tramonte to taste and discuss their wines.

Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, March 24, 2007 11 am - 5 pm Meet winemaker Kerry Norton from Covey Run Winery Kerry will be pouring and discussing the following wines: 2005 Covey Run Covey Run Reserve Semillon Icewine… 2005 Covey Run Winemakers Collection Chardonnay… 2005 Covey Run Winemakers Collection Merlot… 2005 Covey Run Winemakers Collection Syrah… 2005 Covey Run Quail Series Cabernet/Merlot… 2006 Covey Run Quail Series Riesling

Trader Joe’s, Town & Country Kettering Trader Joe’s in Kettering at Stroop and Far Hills Tasting Sunday 4-7. Purple Moon Chardonnay (2005) California; Recanati Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon (2005) Galilee, Israel; Epicuro Aglianico (2004) IGT Beneventano, Italy.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar ( at The Greene ) 937-320-9548 Wine Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm in the bar. There will be four different two ounce tastes every week and will provide different appetizers through out the night to pair with these wines. Features for Wednesday March 28, 2007 5pm to 7pm Landmark, Chardonnay California Overlook, 2005 Bodega Budini, Malbec Mendoza Argentina, 2005 Sequum, Zinfandel Napa Valley Kidd Ranch, 2003 Roth, Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, 2002

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, March 23, Best of the 2006 Fest, 5-7:30 pm Saturday, March 24, More 2006 Wine Festival Winners! Note: Mitchells Wine Dinner has been moved from March 15th to Thursday, March 29th

The Wine Gallery & Cafe 424 East Third Street Dayton, Ohio 45402 937-224-WINE Wednesday, March 28, 2007 6-8 pm Highlighting the wine of Walla Walla Washington, 3 Rivers Winery 2003 Cab, 2002 Merlot, 2004 River Red (merlot, cab , malbec, grenache,) Meritage White (sauvignon blanc and semillion) and a chardonnay

Winds Cafe Yellow Springs Call 937-767-9441 to make reservations for events. March 30, 2007 7pm Spanish Wine class with tapas - reservations required.

La Petite France 3177 Glendate-Milford Road Cincinnati, Ohio www.lapetitefrance.biz Call 513-733-8383

Grapes of Ruth Wednesday, March 28, 6- 8pm Red wines from various regions of the world. Learn basic wine information, and learn to distinguish tastes by region of origin. Class Fee $20.00 and reservations are required.

An insider’s guide to wine-festival bliss

By Uncorked | Thursday, March 22, 2007, 06:43 AM

Don’t forget this weekend’s Cincinnati International Wine Festival … tickets for the Friday night and the two Saturday grand tastings are available at many Dayton-area and Cincinnati-area wine shops and wine departments.

For those headed to the event, here’s an insider’s tip: festival organizers have posted the Tasting Guide that lists all of the wineries that will be present, the wines that those wineries will be pouring, and a map of where each winery will be on the convention center floor. (That link has been a bit balky for me this morning, so if you’re having trouble downloading the tasting guide’s pdf file, try linking first to the festival’s home page and linking to it from there).

The tasting guide is an invaluable tool for those who want to plan their attack and to spot “must-try” wines before setting foot into the arena. The venue, with its nearly 150 booths, can be a tad overwhelming, if not downright confusing. The guide can help.

Perhaps you can be a bit more systematic about the tasting than I am. I’ve gone into the CIWF with a specific game plan and usually abandon it 20 minutes in. It goes something like this:

“Okay, I’m going to make the full rounds once and taste just the white wines first, then go through a second time to taste the reds I’m interested in, then the dessert wines. Nothing will distract me from my game plan.” Three sauvignon blancs later, I’ll spot a pinot noir that I really want to try. “Hmm. There’s already a crowd around that wine. Maybe they’ll run out before I make it back here. It won’t hurt to try a sip of pinot.” Then, ditto for a syrah. Then a cab. Then a late-harvest riesling. Poof! My grand plan is history.

YOU, however, will have more willpower than I. You’ll stay focused. Disciplined. On task.

Right?

Any “insider tips” you can share for those attending their first Cincy Winefest?

And don’t forget to log onto Uncorked on Sunday and tell us what you thought of the event, and whether you have any suggestions for how it can be improved. And if you don’t make it down, you can find out what you missed — or find out whether you made the right choice to stay home and save your money!

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Of course,

A beer-wine smackdown, a few new twists, and wine ‘appreciation’

By Uncorked | Wednesday, March 21, 2007, 07:32 AM

A triumvirate of tender news morsels to ease you through a busy workday:

— We, of course, know which is better, beer or wine, but a herd of unwashed in New York City had other ideas following a special beer-versus-wine dinner held earlier this month at a restaurant there, according to Wine Enthusiast Online. Somehow, I suspect the fix was in.

— The numbers are growing for screwcap wines, according to both Decanter.com and the “Beverage Alcohol Annual Snapshot: A Review of 2006 — What’s Hot, and Not” produced by The Nielsen Company. The Decanter story charts the increasing interest in screwcap closures among French winemakers, while the Nielsen report shows that the number number of brands using screwcaps jumped from 120 to 214 between early 2006 and the end of 2006, while the average price of the wines under screwcap also rose to above $9. Also, to answer a question posed yesterday by Dennis, the sales of wine by price tier measured in that same Nielsen report show how American wine consumers are “moving up” in price: Sales of $3-and-under wines dropped 0.2 percent, while sales of wines in the $9 to $12 price range grew 11.9 percent, and of $12-$15 wines grew 16.3 percent. Even the over-$15 category recorded a healthy 10.5 percent increase in sales.

— Wow, somehow the value of the damaged wine in that California wine warehouse blaze jumped by a multiplier of three, seemingly in a single 24-hour news cycle. It’s now worth $300 million, Decanter.com reports this morning. That $100 million estimate must have been an early one that was “adjusted upward” as additional damage became apparent.

Either that, or this is a case of rapid appreciation of wine value.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Businessman charged with torching $100 million worth of wine to cover his own embezzlement

By Uncorked | Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 12:53 AM

Remember that huge warehouse fire in California that destroyed $100 million worth of wine? It was nearly a year and a half ago. But now, a California man has been charged with setting the fire, apparently to cover up his own embezzlement of wines he had been storing in the warehouse for his clients.

Now, I’m all for the presumption of innocence, but if — IF — this fine young man is convicted of this crime, what, pray tell, should his punishment be?

Just wondering …

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

‘Merlot’ banned in Utah, and all I want to know is: who was the anonymous tattletale?

By Uncorked | Monday, March 19, 2007, 11:53 AM

Check out this Associated Press story as well as this Salt Lake Tribune story and answer me this: What would be an appropriate “people’s justice” for the anonymous caller who tattled on the license-plate owner?

Riesling’s in, white zin is out; New Zealand’s hot, and Chile’s, well, chilly.

By Uncorked | Monday, March 19, 2007, 07:17 AM

More fun facts from the “Beverage Alcohol Annual Snapshot: A Review of 2006 — What’s Hot, and Not” produced by The Nielsen Company:

— Sangria was the fastest-growing category among wine sales in 2006, with sales jumping 10.9 percent compared with the previous year. Sales of table wines (chardonnay, cabernet, and other non-sparkling wines), which constitutes 86.3 percent of the entire wine category, rose a handsome 6.9 percent. Non-alcohol wines dropped 3 percent.

— When the folks at Nielsen looked at the sales figures of wines by their country of origin compared to the previous year, New Zealand was the biggest winner, with sales surging 38.4 percent in 2006. Other winners included South Africa, Argentina, Spain and Germany, with sales increases of 21 to 26 percent. But combined, all of the abovementioned countries still account for less than 4 percent of the market, while domestic wines account for more than 70 percent of the market, followed by Australia (10.2 percent of wine sales in the U.S.) and Italy, which has a 10 percent market share. The only country to record a sales drop was Chile, and that decline was less than 1 percent.

— Within that “domestic” category, California dominates, commanding a 64.9 percent total market share of all U.S. wine sales, and recording a 7.2 percent sales increase in 2006. Washington State, Texas and North Carolina experienced double-digit percentage sales increases compared to the previous year. Ohio was not listed separately in this particular report.

— The “hot” grape varieties in 2006 included Riesling (sales up 25.2 percent), pinot noir (up 20.3 percent), pinot grigio/gris (+17.9 percent), zinfandel (+11.6 percent) and cabernet sauvignon (+11.1 percent). The only grape variety to see a decline in sales? White Zin, down 0.7 percent. And chardonnay is still the dominant wine variety in America, accounting for nearly one out of every four bottle sold. Its sales rose 5.2 percent in 2006.

— Sales of rose table wine jumped 24 percent in 2006.

— Red wines sales appear to be benefitting from all of the positive health news that began to flood the airwaves in the fall of 2006. Over the first 16 weeks of 2007, red-wine sales accounted for 52.9 percent of all wine sales, compared to 51.6 percent over the same period in 2006, and up from 47 percent from 2003.

Any surprises here? Does this match your drinking trends? Or are we (ahem) ahead of the curve? For another take on the Nielsen numbers, check out our Wines & Vines friend Jim Gordon’s analysis of the numbers.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

— Are national chains starving independents?

Bloody nubs, that’s what my fingers are

By Uncorked | Sunday, March 18, 2007, 01:24 PM

Spent Saturday in northern Ohio interviewing a winery owner and tasting some VERY intriguing wines. More on that later. For now, take a look at this package of stories that ran in the business pages of this morning’s Dayton Daily News, and the rather robust conversation it has triggered among our web readers who dine out at local restaurants:

— Chain-vs.-independent restaurant rivalry happening all over

— Readers sound off

See, I wasn’t kidding about the “bloody nubs” part …

When you’re deciding where to eat, do you take into consideration whether it’s a chain or independent restaurant? Why or why not?

Thanks for reading, and cheers!

Mark Fisher

An intriguing new dining destination, and plenty of wine for the weekend

By Uncorked | Friday, March 16, 2007, 06:58 AM

Looking for something new and different? Cena in front of the Dayton Mall is definitely worth a visit. As I tell Dayton Daily News readers in today’s Go! section, you won’t go away hungry. If you’ve already visited, post a comment to let us know what YOU thought of Cena …

As usual, quite a lineup of wine tastings for this weekend, but note also the back-to-back midweek tastings at Arrow Far Hills on Tuesday and Arrow Centerville on Wednesday, with special guests pouring their wines. Both are drop-in tastings; no reservations required.

And if you’re looking for tastings and events in the Cincinnati area, check out my friend and blogging colleague Michelle’s entry at My Wine Education. It’s fun to see how the other half — our southern neighbors — live.

But ours are better. Neener-neener.

The stellar list of Dayton-area tastings, which come to Uncorked via the heroic efforts of a local listserv, are yours with a mouse click on the “continue reading” link. And thanks for doing so. Cheers!

Mark Fisher

FLEURS DE FETE DONATIONS needed!!! Fleurs de Fete, Sunday, May 20th from 1-4pm at Carillon Historical Park:

Jays Kitchen Door Friday, March 16, 2007 4-8 pm 2000 Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris 2005 LE Pigeoulet en Provence 2005 Ponzi Pinot Noir 2003 Chateau Fonreaud 2003 Chateau Cantenac Brown

Saturday, March 17, 2007 1-6 pm 2005 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Elk Cove Pinot Noir 2004 Frogsleap Zinfandel 2003 Chateau La Croix St Georges

Call 222-2892 for reservations to any of the following wine events! Thursday, March 22, 2007 Chateau St Jean Wine Dinner $60

Arrow Wine & Spirits — Kettering Saturday, March 17, 2007 11-5 pm 2004 las rocas garnacha, vinas viejas 2003 maison nicolas chardonnay 2004 protocolo 2004 clio 2005 ste. michelle riesilng, indian wells 2003 ste. michelle cabernet sauvignon

Tuesday March 20, 2007 5-7:30 pm Arrow welcomes George Foote, National Wine Educator, Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (Chateau Ste. Michelle/ Antinori Wine Alliance) Antinori Campogrande Orvieto Santa Cristina-Antinori 2003 Tormaresca 2001 Guado al Tasso Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva Tenuta Tignanello Solaia

Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, March 17, 2007 11 am - 5 pm 2005 Prager Riesling… 2004 Knightsdale Pinot Noir… 2003 Lapis Luna Cabernet Sauvignon… 2000 Fonterutoli Chianti Classico… 2005 Rosenblum Petite Sirah

Wednesday March 21, 2007 5-7 pm Meet Sandy Walheim, winemaker at Francis Ford Coppola Winery. 2005 Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005 Francis Ford Coppola Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2005 Francis Ford Coppola Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)

DLM Oakwood Friday, March 16, 2007 5-8pm Carmody Chardonnay 2005 M & V Edna Valley Chardonnay 2003 A to Z Pinot Noir 2005 J. Vidal-Fleury Crozes-Hermitage 2004 L’Ecole 41 Cabernet 2002 K Ovide 2003 Brown Bag

Saturday, March 17, 2007 1-6 pm Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2005 Hess Su’Kol Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 Peter Lehman Clancy’s 2004 Hess Mountain Cuvee 2003 Hess Collection Cabernet 2003 Peter Lehman Stonewall Shiraz 1998 Bonus Bottles

Beers: Snakebites (1/2 Guiness & 1⁄2 Strongbow Dry Cider) Rogue Kell’s Irish Lager Three Floyds Brian Boru Red Ale

DLM Washington Square Thursday, March 15, 2007 5-8 pm 2006 Artazuri Rose 2004 Destino Napa Valley Chardonnay 2004 J. Vidal Fleury Cotes du Rhone 2005 Renato Ratti Dolcetto d’ Alba 2005 Ercavio Mystery Wine!

Saturday, March 17, 2007 12-5 pm Fifi’s “Luck of the Irish” Tasting 2004 Hop Kiln 1000 Flowers 2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir 2003 St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel 2002 St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon Pot of Gold Wine!

Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, March 16, 2007 3-7pm 05 August Briggs Chardonnay 03 August Briggs Cabernet 04 August Briggs Petite 04 Red Mudd Petite Verdot

Saturday, March 17, 2007 12-5 pm 01 Shuffit Gewurztraminer 05 Chalone Pinot Noir 05 Stag’s Leap Karia Chardonnay 01 Stella Maris Red Wine 01 Roda I

Saturday Snacks:

St. Patrick’s Day at O’Cuvee (It is also Chef Chris’s Birthday, for real!) Saturday, March 17th 9:00 AM - ? Saracco Moscato di Asti 2005 Man Vintner’s 2005 Chenin Blanc A to Z 2005 Pinot Noir Monte Volpe Sangiovese 2004 Howell Mountain Vineyards 2005 Zinfandel Hofer 2005 Gruner Veltliner Mystery Green Wine!

On tap: Smithwick’s Ale Beer: Wexford Irish Cream Ale, Broughton Scottish Oatmeal Stout, Orkney’s Skullsplitter, HARP, Founder’s Dirty Bastard, Harpoon Hibernian, and Guinness.

An incredible Irish food menu! SCOTTISH HAGGIS MEAT PIE BRIDIE CORNISH PASTY PORK PIE BANGERS & MASH CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE

DiSalvos Deli and Italian Store Wine Tasting - every third Wednesday of the month in conjunction with their Meal of the Month! www.disalvosdeli.com. The Delis Feature Wines: Ecco Domani Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese

Trader Joe’s, Town & Country Kettering Trader Joe’s in Kettering at Stroop and Far Hills Time change this weekend only: Sunday 5:30-8:00, Tuesday 6:00-8:00 Gaetano d’Acquino Reserve (2004) DOC Chianti, Italy. Old Moon Zinfandel (2004) California. Dr. Beckermann Auslese (2005) QmP Piesporter-Michelsburg, Germany.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar ( at The Greene ) 937-320-9548 Wine Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm in the bar. There will be four different two ounce tastes every week and will provide different appetizers through out the night to pair with these wines. Features for Wednesday March 21, 2007 5pm to 7pm FERRARI-CARANO, Fume Blanc Napa Valley, 2005 ARGYLE, Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 2005 STEPPING STONE, Cabernet Franc Napa Valley, 2004 ROBERT CRAIG, Affinity Napa Valley, 2002

L’Auberge L’Auberge’s Tuesday night tastings 7 pm! More information coming!

Pacchia Wine Tasting Every Thursday will feature at least 6 wines for to taste, discuss, and enjoy from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. When your tasting is finished, you will receive a credit for the $10 fee applied to the purchase of any dinner entrée in Pacchia Prima or any bill of $20 or more in the café. Live music! Thursday, March 15, 2007 6 pm - 8 pm!

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, March 16th, 7 pm ~ Dessert Wines and Port Wines Reservations are required, and seating is limited.

Saturday, March 17th, 3-6 pm ~ “Everyday Drinking” Wines

Note: Mitchells Wine Dinner has been moved from March 15th to Thursday, March 29th

Winds Cafe Yellow Springs Call 937-767-9441 to make reservations for events. March 30, 2007 7pm Spanish Wine class with tapas - reservations required.

Villa di Giovanni Wine Tasting! Wednesday, March 21, 2007, 1100 E. Dayton Yellow Springs Rd. 5-7 p.m.

El Meson 903 East Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, Ohio 45449 (937) 859-8229, Fax (937) 859-8220, www.ElMeson.Net El Meson is no longer offering the Tuesday night tapas/wine pairings.

The Wine Gallery & Cafe 424 East Third Street Dayton, Ohio 45402 937-224-WINE

Everyday is Wine Tasting at The Wine Gallery with 16 different flights. Open 11:30AM to 9:30PM M-Th and 11:30AM to 1:00AM Friday, Saturday.

Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday, March 17

TomKatz Wine Tasting Wednesdays Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Phone: 937-743-8111 Address: S.R. 73 just East of I75

La Petite France 3177 Glendate-Milford Road Cincinnati, Ohio www.lapetitefrance.biz Call 513-733-8383

On Friday evening, March 16th at 6:30 pm, will host a wine dinner tasting entitled “Ciao Italia”. Aperitif “La Cata” Vermentino, Sella & Mosca 1st. Course Fiano de Avellino Bianco, Feudi di San Gregorio Mache and field greens with pears and hazelnuts in a vinaigrette dressing 2nd. Course Dolcetto d’Alba, Marchesi di Barolo Seared salmon with endive chutney, brie cheese, and raspberry coulis 3rd. Course Morellino di Scansano, La Doga Panceta-wrapped roasted beef tenderloin with wild mushroom risotto 4th. Course Nero d’Avola, Feudo Arancio Italian cheese tasting 5th. Course Moscato Legatura Veneto, Mionetto Mixed berries with zabaglione

Chantrell’s Banquet Facility, Catering & Restaurant 20 Commercial Way Springboro, Ohio 45066 937-743-6073

The Inn at Versailles

The Winery at Versailles (937) 526-3232 www.wineryatversailles.com

Wine gains ground on beer, again

By Uncorked | Thursday, March 15, 2007, 08:25 AM

The “Beverage Alcohol Annual Snapshot: A Review of 2006 — What’s Hot, and Not” produced by The Nielsen Company is chock-full of lots of fun facts about our collective drinking habits, but none more revealing than how wine continues to kick beer’s butt, in terms of growth and increased cosumer interest, anyway.

Page 14 of the 100-page report trumpets the fact that “Beer is losing Share of Wallet Over the Long Term to Wine and Spirits.” Nielsen’s research shows that as a share of American consumers’ total alcohol purchases, beer has dropped from 50.5 percent in 1995 to 44.6 percent in 2006, while wine’s market share over the same period jumped from 16.8 percent to 20 percent. Spirits’ market share grew by a smaller rate, 31.4 percent to 33.8 percent.

In terms of dollars spent in 2006 compared to 2005, Americans shelled out $8.8 billion on beer last year, up 1.9 percent from 2005, while money spent on wine reached $5.3 billion, up a nifty 9 percent.

Gee, anybody else spot a trend here?

Now, I’m all for an occasional brew, but if I must choose one “desert-island” beverage, there just isn’t any doubt … pack the corkscrew, honey.

You?

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

l’Auberge appoints sommelier

By Uncorked | Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 06:57 AM

l’Auberge has hired a sommelier and general manager.

He is Daniel Warner, who served as general manager for the Blue Moon and Eclipse and has been in the fine-dining industry for 16 years, many of those years in restaurants in the Indianapolis area.

Daniel is a certified Sommelier with interest in pursing his Master Sommelier Certification, he said in an introductory e-mail. He’ll be helping to put together the Kettering restaurant’s wine tastings, dinners and special events.

“I also look forward to working with Josef Reif and the staff here at l’Auberge and helping to continue the success and longevity of a great restaurant institution,” Warner wrote.

Is anyone aware of another Dayton-area restaurant that has a sommelier?

Does having a sommelier make a restaurant more appealing to you — does it make you more likely to patronize it?

Thanks and cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | Comments (6) |

Women wine drinkers still struggle for respect

By Uncorked | Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 07:41 AM

Jessica Paringer at Cuvee — Dayton Daily News photo by Jim Witmer

You’ll recall we wrote a few weeks back about the lack of respect afforded to women wine lovers. We asked for some of your stories, and you shared them with us. Well, those experiences developed into a cover story in today’s Dayton Daily News Life section entitled Breaking the Wine Glass Ceiling that I humbly submit is worth your time and mouseclick.

But wait, there’s more. Just as a DVD of a movie has “extras” such as outtakes and deleted scenes, we offer up our own version of extras. Click here to view more photos of the DLM wine tasting and other shots that didn’t appear in the paper.

And many thanks to the Uncorked readers, wine shop owners and DLM tasters who made the story possible.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Avoid the shame of the overflowing recycling bin

By Uncorked | Monday, March 12, 2007, 03:44 PM

Build a house with your empty wine bottles instead!

No more sneaking over to the neighbor’s recycling bin on trash morning. Now, every time you polish off a bottle, you’ve put another brick in the wall.

I’m serious. Check it out!

And a tip of the cap to yesterday’s Uncorked author, Dennis Hall, for sharing today’s story … Maybe I should just turn the whole blog over to Dennis for the week ….

cheers!

Mark Fisher

Uncut and Uncensored! Dennis Hall offers the inside scoop on London, Paris

By Uncorked | Sunday, March 11, 2007, 07:25 AM

Gordon%27s_Casks_resized.jpg Spot of sherry, anyone? Gordon’s Wine Bar in London can set you up nicely …

Dennis Hall, former proprietor of Fairfield Wine, and his wife and friends recently returned from a wine-enhanced trip to London and Paris. And since I love to live vicariously through anyone who has made just such a trip, I invited Dennis to hijack Uncorked for the day to share his experiences, of which there were many. So live, from London, uncut and uncensored, heeeeeeerrrrre’s Dennis!

By Dennis Hall

Take four Dayton winos, add a week in London, and you get a great adventure involving food and wine. The primary purpose for the trip was to pick up some wine that I had ordered. However, the timing of the trip was based on three reasons:

— It was warmer in London than Dayton after the snowy January we had

— Airfares are cheaper now than in the summer

— The Decanter Magazine annual French Wine Encounter was last weekend.

Our first stop upon arriving in London was at Gordon’s Wine Bar. Gordon’s has been a family-owned wine bar since 1890. Located near the Embankment Underground station and a short walk to the river, Big Ben, Westminster Cathedral, and Trafalgar Square, the bar is know for their own sherry and ports in casks behind the bar. You can order these by the schooner (12cl = 4oz) or by the beaker (15cl= 5 oz). The amontillado was a refreshing thirst quencher before lunch. A bottle of Pasqua Rose spumante (sparkling) from theVeneto paired nicely with the classic pub grub. Hearty lamb shanks with potatoes, roast chicken, and steak & mushroom pie were wonderful. Their Old Wood Tawny port was the ideal finish before striking out into the cool afternoon of sightseeing. Besides the casks most of the wines are available by the glass. The atmosphere is warm and inviting by the owner and his wait staff (the waitress was a real hoot). The decor is definitely old wine cellar (brick floors, low arches, candles.) After a short nap back at our flat, we had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, ASK, across the street from the Baker Street tube stop.

The next day’s first stop was at Berry Brothers & Rudd to pick up some of the 2003 vintage ports. Berry Brothers has been a wine seller since 1698. Their vintage chart only goes back to 1846 though. Besides wines, they have a terrific selection of spirits from around the world including whiskys and wines bottled under their own label (Ordinary Claret & Extra Ordinary Claret). The original shop is located just out the back door of St. James Palace and a short walk to Buckingham Palace. After dropping off the wine at the flat, we had lunch at an ale & port house near the Tower of London, our afternoon sightseeing stop. (Yes, we did see some cultural spots other than pubs and wine bars).

Dinner’s plan started with the search for an Indian restaurant near Leicester Square and the theatre district, but after several wrong turns in the winding streets between Soho and Chinatown we settled into a small Spanish tapas restaurant. The variety of flavors were wonderful and the serving sizes way beyond the “little tops” we expected. Some of the dishes included marinated octopus (tender and flavorful), marinated pork, roasted Padron peppers (looked like small jalepenos but had a tasty soft bite), chorizo tortilla, garlicky mussels, olives, Manchego cheese, saffron rice and few others I can’t remember; of course matched with a couple of bottles of Rioja tinto.

The evening’s highlight was a performance of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” at the Palace Theatre near the West End. The theatre was built in the 1890s as the Royal English Opera House and restored in the 1980s (not unlike Dayton’s Victoria only the balcony is twice as high above the stage and the space between rows is tighter than Victoria). The show was fantastic; get your tickets now so you don’t miss it when it comes to Dayton as part of the Victoria Broadway Series. On thing you don’t see here, we were encouraged to buy a glass of ice cold champagne to take to our seats with us. So as not to offend the locals we had to oblige.

Thursday started early to catch the Eurostar train though the “chunnel” to Paris. After about 2-1/2 hours (only about 20 minutes is under the channel, the rest is through farmlands), we arrived in Paris and a short subway ride to the center of the tourist area. Once again making a few wrong turns through the streets, we found our way to the river Seine and a stroll to Notre Dame Cathedral. We stopped for lunch across the river at Cafe Leffe. Lunch choices ranged from steak tartare, a crepe filled with ham, cheese and egg, beef steak with a beautiful Bernaise sauce, and a Mac with pommes frites (hamburger and french fries). Domaine de la Mordoree Cotes-du-Rhone was the lunch libation. More touring including the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Arch de Triomphe. The last major stop was at Fouquet’s Brasserie along the Champs Elysee for a toast of Champagne. Fouquet’s is a classic bar/restaurant that was a hangout for the Lafayette Escadrille during WWI and later for actors from both sides of the pond.

One last stop at a local wine store and bakery to pick up the makings of dinner for the train ride home: baguette sandwiches, chocolate croissants, and a Moulin-a-Vent Beaujolais. While waiting to depart back to London, we found a great little meat/cheese shop full of wonderful dry cured sausages, hams, and cheeses. The proprietors were fighting over giving us samples of these tasty morsels. Unfortunately, the salami was arrested by US Customs as a threat to national security when we got back to the states.

Back in London on Friday, we headed to the British Museum for some more culture and history. Keeping with the wine theme we made sure to see the wine amphora and mosaic of Dionysus dancing with his panther. We also discovered the original meaning of the word “symposium” - a drinking party for the educated. (So the next time your boss wants to send you to a symposium say OK.) From there we went to Vinopolis (City of Wine) near London Bridge for some shopping and lunch. Lunch was at the Wine Wharf Gastropub, an upscale microbrewery and restaurant. Entrees included salmon cakes, wild boar bangers & mash.

Nearby is the Borrough Market, an awesome farmers’ market (like 2nd Street Market on steroids). A phenomenal array of fresh vegetables, meats, seafood, wild game, cheeses, and breads. Anything you can think of was there, including a veritable temple for cheese—the Neal’s Yard dairy—home to amazing artisinal cheeses from small farmsteads around the UK all available to taste. In the small-world department, the clerk at who waited on us had an American accent. It turns out he had just moved there from Ann Arbor where he had worked at Zingerman’s Deli and was learning to be a cheesemonger at one of the best cheese shops in the world.

Since we had a kitchen in our flat we decided to pick up the ingredients for dinner. The menu included fresh sea bass filets with a thyme/lemon/garlic/butter sauce, rustic bread, the Padron peppers (like we had at the tapas place), sautéed wild mushrooms, fresh figs & stilton with honey, and chocolate truffles. The wines for the night included a Cremant de Loire and a Provence Rose. After dinner we took a stroll to the Alsop Arms pub just down the street for a pint or two of real cask ale and cider.

Last but certainly not least was the French Wine Encounter sponsored by Decanter magazine and held at the classic Landmark Hotel near Regents Park. The main part of the day (11am-5pm) was a grand showcase-type tasting spread over three ballrooms. There were a total of 90 tables (4-8 wines per table) representing all the regions of France but with a heavy emphasis on Bordeaux and Burgundy. While the super premium names (Margaux, Petrus, etc.) were not there many of the best second and third tier as well as many up and coming producers were well represented.

All of the participants were invited to be a part of the event; it was not just open to any marketing type that wanted to show up. Most of the tables were hosted by the wine maker or owner of the various properties. In addition to the tasting there were several Master Classes focusing on specific regions or vintages with top notch speakers.

We chose to take advantage of the special luncheon featuring the wines of “le Cinq” a group of 5 Bordeaux wineries highlighting their unique terrior. The menu is shown below:

— White pudding with Anjou pigeon, Jerusalem artichoke puree and truffle sauce

— Chateau Smith Haut Lafite Blanc 2000 (who says whites don’t age well)

— Chateau Smith Haut Lafite Rouge 2001

— Lamb cannon and shoulder, with crushed peas, roasted baby onions, lemon mustard jus

— Chateau Gazin 1998 (needed 30 minutes in a decanter to really open)

— Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere 1999

— Selection of cheeses - Irish St Gall and Yarg

— Chateau Branaire-Ducru 1999

— Chateau Pontet-Canet 1996

We were lucky to have two of the winery reps at our table: David Ornon of Chateau Smith Haut Lafite and Nicolas de Bailliencourt, owner of Chateau Gazin. Both were very engaging and obviously proud of their wines. But Monsieur Bailliencourt was very open about his feelings about marketing, wine publications, legal issues and anything we asked. After the lunch we returned to the showcase to finish sampling wines.

There were a number of highlights based on my tasting notes:

— The 2005 red Burgundies were exceptional across the board. Many were barrel samples drawn for this event.

— 05 Domaine de Perdix (Vosne-Romanee, Nuits Saint-George, & Echezeaux) all exceptional

— While the 2004 red Bordeaux were showing good potential, it is tougher to find good values.

— 04 Chateau Cadillac Bordeaux Superior (subtle)

— 04 Chateau Luchey-Halde Rouge

— 04 Chateau Les Carmes, Haut-Brion

— 04 Chateau Chauvin (big structure and potential)

— 04 Chateau Beychevelle ( big, well balanced, good potential)

— 04 Clos Canon (tight well structured)

I am continually impressed by the quality and value of the smaller estate-grown champagnes in comparison to the large mass market producers.

— Chateau Duval-Leroy - 95 Femme de Champagne from magnum - big and rich

— Duval-Leroy NV Rose de Saignee - crisp tart cherry, brisk

— Phillip Gonet Reserve Brut NV

— Reserve de Sours Sparkling Rose - from Bordeaux a sparking cab/merlot that was awesome

If you like dessert wines but don’t want to pay the price for Sauternes check out the really nice Barsacs. Similar Botrytis character and rich lavish flavors but at a much better price. 2000s and 2002s both showed very good potential.

— 02 Chateau Climens Barsac

— 00 Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, Sauterne

— 02 Chateau Doisy Daene Barsac

Another side note for the “it’s a small world” file. One of the tables featured the Bordeaux of Chateau Brown (a very nice wine). I mentioned to the winery rep about the Bordeaux-drinking Browns fans in Dayton. Another guest at the event overheard our conversation and mentioned that his mother was from Dayton and had married an RAF officer during his assignment to WPAFB and returned to live in the UK where he was born.

After the tasting we had a slightly swaying stroll back to the flat (only 2 blocks) for a nap, light dinner, and packing for the next day’s flight back to Dayton.

(Thanks, Dennis, and cheerio … um, cheers!)

Mark Fisher

(Photo courtesy of Dennis Hall)

Permalink | |

Skeptics of BevWizard’s ‘magnetic’ effect on wine raise the ante

By Uncorked | Saturday, March 10, 2007, 08:38 AM

Patrick Farrell pours wine through a BevWizard. Associated Press photo.

Y’all might recall the Uncorked entries of last August entitled Blue smoke, Ouija boards and wine magnets, about the claims of the makers of BevWizard that the magnetic device could make young wines smoother and better-tasting, along with the subsequent response from BevWizard’s creator entitled BevWizard inventor vigorously defends magnet’s effect on wine.

Well, Magneto is back in the news this morning on Decanter.com. Apparently, a skeptic is offering a cool $1 million to anyone who can prove the BevWizard’s claims, and a Master of Wine student is taking him up on the offer.

This should be fun, eh?

Has anyone tried this or any other similar devices since we last wrote about it in August? What’s your opinion?

If you tuned in to find this weekend’s tastings, just click here.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | |

Fleming’s aims to make a splash on local wine scene

By Uncorked | Friday, March 9, 2007, 06:21 AM

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar — the new restaurant at The Greene that is reviewed in today’s DDN Go! section (who IS that know-nothing dining reporter, anyway?) — is trying hard to woo local wine enthusiasts. Would we expect anything less of the only upscale national steakhouse chain to put the words “wine bar” in its name?

The chain’s national wine director, Marian Jansen op de Har, was among the Fleming’s bigwigs to come to Dayton to host a media dinner and promote the restaurant shortlly after it opened. Marian explained how she leaves it up to each local restaurant’s wine director to choose 40 of the 100 wines available by the glass, while she chooses the other 60. She wants a dynamic list that has geographic diversity and is responsive to local palates, she said.

Scott Robbins, the wine director for the local Fleming’s and a native of Covington in Miami County, has assembled a list he describes as 75 percent domestic (“I tend to go toward new-world wines”) but which also leans toward small, boutique wineries. The list will change constantly, so diners can have new wines to choose from each time they come in, Robbins said.

Fleming’s uses handsome stemware that isn’t Riedel, but it sure feels comparable in the hand. It comes from a West Virginia company that’s glad to have Fleming’s around. “We’re one of their larger clients,” Jansen op de Har said.

If you order a glass of wine, it comes to the table in a 6-ounce carafe, which is then poured into the large-bowled stemware. If you order a wine flight, you’ll get three glasses, each containing 2 ounces.

Jansen op de Har said the restaurant does not penalize those who drink wines by the glass. A 6-oz. glass of wine is exactly one-fourth the cost of a bottle of the same wine, and a 2-oz. taste is exactly one-third the price of a glass.

But Fleming’s markups do appear high in relation to other restaurants’ wine lists in the Dayton area. One independent restaurateur told me a St. Francis Merlot sold for $12 a glass on Fleming’s list was on the independent’s by-the-glass list for $6.05.

Jansen op de Har said Fleming’s markups are about in the middle for its national steakhouse chain competitors. She declined to divulge a formula for the markups. A quick check of a handful of bottles suggests the restaurant is selling bottles at about double or slightly more than double the Ohio minimum retail price.

Fleming’s deserves kudos for getting the serving temperatures right — a recurring problem in many other fine-dining establishments that routinely serve their whites too cold and their reds WAY too warm. Fleming’s keeps its whites in a 45-degree storage room, its reds in a 60-degree room.

As for how the restaurant keeps 100 wines flowing by the glass, Uncorked explored back in July how Fleming’s preserves its wines to ensure each glass is (relatively) fresh. The methods sound good — not perfect, but good — assuming they’re followed each and every night.

The regular Wednesday night (5 to 7 p.m.) tastings at the bar are a relative bargain: $15 for tastes of four wines, accompanied by four appetizers. Check out the tastings list that Uncorked posts from a local wine listserv each Friday (including today — click on “continue reading” below to take a look at the list) to see which wines Fleming’s will be pouring. It’s a good way to check out the restaurant without committing to a dinner check.

And Fleming’s is becoming active in charity wine events and will hold wine dinners as well, including this one:

— Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will host a Thomas Arvid Wine Dinner benefitting Culture Works at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13 at the restaurant at 4432 Walnut St. in The Greene. Arvid, a still-life painter whose works adorn the walls of the steakhouse, and Rob Fisher of Fisher Vineyards will be the special guests at the event. Dinner will include a five-course dinner and the wines from Fisher Vineyards. The cost is $125, and reservations are required; contact Dave Seyer at (937) 222-2787 to RSVP. (I believe there is also a cocktail reception from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that day with the same guests … call the same RSVP number above for more information.)

Will Fleming’s courtship of the local wine community bear fruit? The jury’s still out on that question. But if it doesn’t, well … it won’t be for lack of effort on Fleming’s part.

Click on the link below to check out upcoming wine tastings and dinners, and cheers!

Mark Fisher

FLEURS DE FETE DONATIONS needed!!! Fleurs de Fete, Sunday, May 20th from 1-4pm at Carillon Historical Park:

Fleurs de Fete is actively seeking donations from private individuals for the live auction. Enjoy a tax-deduction and recognition in the program booklet at the event. Contact Laura Lanier (Wellness Connection) at 223-4117 ext. 112. Fleurs de Fete will feature over 300 wines and food samples from Dayton’s finest restaurants with the proceeds benefiting the Wellness Connection of the Dayton Region.

Jays Kitchen Door Friday, March 9, 2007 4-8 pm 2003 Caraonesca Marna 2003 E.Guigal Crozes Hermitage 2003 Chateau Bernadotte 2003 Hess Vineyard Hess Collection Cabernet 2004 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi

Saturday, March 10, 2007 1-6 pm NV Gruet Blanc de Noir 2001 Ruffino Riserva Ducale 2003 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001 Chateau De Sales

Call 222-2892 for reservations to any of the following wine events! Thursday, March 22, 2007 Chateau St Jean Wine Dinner $60

Arrow - Kettering Saturday, March 10, 2007 11-5 pm 2005 bastgen, brauneberger juffer-sonnenuhr, riesling kabinett 2004 lalande sauvignon blanc 2005 alba liza 2004 dancing bull zinfandel 2003 peique, viendos viejos 2004 glen eldon, dry bone shiraz

Dorothy Lane Market (DLM)

DLM Oakwood Friday, March 9, 2007 5-8pm Primobacio Moscato d’Asti 2005 Pavilion Chardonnay 2005 Red Guitar 2005 Hedges Three Vineyards Red 2002 Fattoria Scopone Brunello 1999 Brown Bag

Saturday, March 10, 2007 1-6 pm Fernleaf Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne 2005 Etude Pinot Noir 2003 E. Guigal Crozes Hermitage 2003 Duckhorn Decoy 2004 Seps Estate Cabernet 2003 Bonus Bottles

Beers: New Holland Lucky 13 Anniversary Red Ale Harvieston Special Reserve Old Engine Oil

DLM Washington Square Thursday, March 8, 2007 5-8 pm 2005 Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2005 Rocca Barbera 2006 Altos Malbec 2005 Ambra Barco Reale di Carmignano 1999 Weingut Paul Lehrner Cuve Paulus Mystery Wine!

Saturday, March 10, 2007 12-5 pm “Fifi’s Beating the Winter Blah Tasting” NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir 2004 Sclossgut Diel Riesling Kabinett 2004 Palliser Pinot Noir 2005 Cline Zinfandel 2001 Delectus Cabernet Sauvignon Mystery Wine!

Dorothy Lane Springboro Friday, March 9, 2007 3-7pm 05 Menage a Trois Rose 04 Beringer Napa Chardonnay 02 Penfolds RWT 01 Clos du Bois Marlstone

Saturday, March 10, 2007 12-5 pm 05 Plantagenet Riesling 05 San Pietro Pinot Grigio 01 Yalumba Octavius 01 Kamen 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 Wine Tasting Menu Friday, March 9 -Thursday, March 15, 2007 Armand 2005 Riesling Four Vines 2005 Naked Chardonnay Pavilion 2005 Chardonnay Alain Jaume 2002 Vacqueyras Ebner Lagrein 2001 Merlot Taft 2003 Zinfandel Fartelli Ferrero 2001 Barolo

Saturday Snacks: Sea Scallop Potpie and Mango Chipotle BBQ chicken sandwich

St. Patrick’s Day at O’Cuvee (It is also Chef Chris’s Birthday, for real!) Saturday, March 17th 9:00 AM - ? An incredible Irish food menu and Wexford Irish Cream Ale, Broughton Scottish Oatmeal Stout, Orkney’s Skullsplitter, HARP, Founder’s Dirty Bastard, Harpoon Hibernian, Guinness, and more…

Arrow Centerville 615 Lyons Rd Saturday, March 10, 2007 11 am - 5 pm 2006 Toad Hollow Rosé… 2006 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc… 2005 Evil Cabernet Sauvignon… 2002 Curatolo Nero D’Avola/Syrah… 2003 St. Francis Reserve Zinfandel… 2001 Delectus Stanton Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Trader Joe’s, Town & Country Kettering Tastings Sunday 4-7 and Tuesday 6-8.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar ( at The Greene ) 937-320-9548 Wine Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm in the bar. There will be four different two ounce tastes every week and will provide different appetizers through out the night to pair with these wines. Features for Wednesday March 14, 2007 5pm to 7pm LUNA, Pinot Grigio Napa County, 2005 YALUMBA, Grenache Barossa Bush Vine Reserve Australia, 2004 SHAFER, Merlot Napa Valley, 2003 HOOPES, Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville, 2003

L’Auberge l’Auberge’s Tuesday night tasting March 13,2007 7 pm! More information early next week!

Pacchia Wine Tasting Every Thursday will feature at least 6 wines for to taste, discuss, and enjoy from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. When your tasting is finished, you will receive a credit for the $10 fee applied to the purchase of any dinner entrée in Pacchia Prima or any bill of $20 or more in the café. Live music! Thursday, March 8, 2007 6 pm - 8 pm!

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, March 9th, 7 pm - California Hidden Treasures Saturday, March 10th, 3-6 pm ~ Perfect Pizza Wines Note: Mitchells Wine Dinner has been moved from March 15th to Thursday, March 29th

Winds Cafe Yellow Springs Call 937-767-9441 to make reservations for events. Wine Classes Saturday, March 10, 2007 and March 10, 2007 3 pm Wine 201 March 30, 2007 7pm Spanish Wine class with tapas - reservations required.

Villa di Giovanni Wine Tasting! Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 1100 E. Dayton Yellow Springs Rd. 5-7 p.m.

El Meson 903 East Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, Ohio 45449 (937) 859-8229, Fax (937) 859-8220, www.ElMeson.Net El Meson is no longer offering the Tuesday night tapas/wine pairings.

The Wine Gallery & Cafe 424 East Third Street Dayton, Ohio 45402 937-224-WINE

Everyday is Wine Tasting at The Wine Gallery with 16 different flights. Open 11:30AM to 9:30PM M-Th and 11:30AM to 1:00AM Friday, Saturday.

Market Wine Imports 2nd Street Public Market Saturday, March 10

TomKatz Wine Tasting Wednesdays Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Phone: 937-743-8111 Address: S.R. 73 just East of I75

La Petite France 3177 Glendate-Milford Road Cincinnati, Ohio www.lapetitefrance.biz Call 513-733-8383

Chantrell’s Banquet Facility, Catering & Restaurant 20 Commercial Way Springboro, Ohio 45066 937-743-6073

Grapes of Ruth

The Inn at Versailles

The Winery at Versailles (937) 526-3232 www.wineryatversailles.com

Wine fraud: you can’t judge a book by its cover — or a wine by its label

By Uncorked | Thursday, March 8, 2007, 07:21 AM

I had lunch last week with Vick Mickunas, he of WYSO-FM “Book Nook” fame until things got all crazy at that Yellow Springs public radio station. In case you haven’t heard, the Dayton Daily News has talked Vick into bringing his book-world expertise to our Sunday paper and more recently to our web site, where his Book Nook blog is very much worth checking out.

At one point of our conversation, Vick — who knows his way around a wine list — noted how similar wines are to books: just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, neither can you judge a wine by its label.

Ain’t THAT the truth, especially now with the news that Federal authorities are investigating whether inferior bottles of wine were passed off as rare vintages worth more than $100,000 a bottle.

And to think I came thiiiiiiiis close to buying one of those “Thomas Jefferson Collection” bottles.

I knew there was something suspicious about that label, though. I didn’t think Yellow Tail was around during Jefferson’s time….

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | |

Ernest Gallo dead at 97 — share your best Gallo story

By Uncorked | Wednesday, March 7, 2007, 12:42 AM

Ernest Gallo died Tuesday at the age of 97. Truly the end of an era.

The Associated Press story linked to above contains an intriguing fact:

Gallo was a courtly man who affected Old World manners. But in business he was tenacious, shrewd, aggressive, and secretive. He and others of the Gallo clan shunned publicity like a plague. The reason for the secretiveness, many of their former associates said, was the way his parents had died. Fresno County records say their father, Joseph, shot their mother, Susie, to death in June 1933, then killed himself. That was two months before the founding of the Gallo winery.

I never knew that.

What’s your favorite Gallo memory? I’ve got a couple. The first is the Gallo Family Vineyards Zinfandels that Ernest and Julio used to sell for, what, $6 or $7 a bottle? The stuff was aMAzing.

And who among us has not, at some point of their wine journey, suckled on the mother’s milk that was Gallo Hearty Burgundy, or Mountain Chablis, or Mellow Burgundy? Yes, it was wrong to steal those French terms. But the wines — well, they tasted better than their price tags predicted.

Did any other two men bring more wine to more people than Ernest and Julio?

Now that’s a life well-lived.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Wine tasting an official sport? Don’t bother me, please — I’m in training

By Uncorked | Tuesday, March 6, 2007, 06:28 AM

Those aren’t just glasses of wine I’m holding in that photo to the right. Think of them as, like, barbells. I’m training for a big sporting event.

That could be the excuse of the newfound athletes of Oxford and Cambridge universities, whose wine societies are lobbying to have wine tasting ratified as an official sport, according to Decanter.com.

Oh my, think of the possibilities.

We could have “pickup games.” You pick four friends, I’ll pick four, and we’ll meet at the school gymnasium. I’ll bring the Riedels, you bring the corkscrew. Correctly identifying a Spanish Albarino counts as a three-point shot.

Let’s take this and run with it. What should some of the other “rules of the game” be? How should points be scored? What should constitute a technical foul? What should a coach who’s down at halftime tell his players in the locker room?

March madness, indeed.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher

Permalink | Comments (5) |

Women wine lovers demanding — and starting to get — respect

By Uncorked | Monday, March 5, 2007, 11:01 AM

Judith Bleses of Kettering had her “Grrrr” moment a few years ago when a male server in a decidedly upscale Chicago restaurant tried to foist a glass of utterly flat (but quite expensive) Champagne on her.

For Ann Boucher of Columbus, it was the time five years ago when a male wine-shop clerk told her she “just wouldn’t understand” the bottle of fine red Burgundy she was inquiring about — even though she had visited that very winery and chatted with the winemaker only a month before.

Nancy Bentley’s experience came when she and her husband, Ron — both of whom operate Kinkead Ridge winery in Ripley — walked into a Michigan winery’s tasting room, and the employee handed a tasting glass to her husband — but not to her.

“Can you spell S-E-E-T-H-I-N-G?” Nancy said?

For a gender that purchases more than half of all wine sold in America, women often get little respect in the wine world. Anecdotes abound of subtle and not-so-subtle condescension from wine shop and restaurant employees such as those described above. Some oenophiles and industry members seem to want to hang the equivalent of a “men only” sign on the clubhouse door.

But women are finding creative ways of fighting back against the patronizing attitudes, from designating those retailers that cater to their needs to opening their own wine shops.

California-based Women & Wine last month launched a “Trusted Source” awards program to recognize wine retailers whose stores create an atmosphere “conducive to both novice and experienced wine buyers.”

“With so much choice in the marketplace, we want to inspire women to drink the best wine for their budget — whether it’s $10 or $100,” says Julie Brosterman, founder and chief executive of Women & Wine.

“Our ‘Trusted Source’ retailer designation is a way for consumers to know that the shop has staff willing to answer even the most basic questions, make recommendations in their price range — and that the culture of the shop is to build a trusted long-term relationship with their customers.”

The organization’s Web site (www.womenwine.com) puts it in starker gender terms: “Traditionally, the world of wine, from making and teaching about it, to shopping for wine in stores and restaurants, has been male dominated, a ‘men’s thing.’ “

And while that may be true nationwide, the trend shows signs of shifting in the Miami Valley, where some of the most recently opened wine shops in the region were launched by women, including Grapes of Ruth in Springboro, Cindy’s Wine Cellar (now Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar) in Bellbrook and The Winds Wine Cellar in Yellow Springs.

“I think I have more women customers than men,” said Ruth Hagedorn, Grapes of Ruth’s founder and owner. “Women want to learn about wine, and they don’t want to be intimidated. They want to feel comfortable. They’ve encountered the attitude elsewhere that they must spend more money to get good wine.”

Cindy Hill, who founded Cindy’s Wine Cellar (now Cuvee) and later sold it to Jessica Paringer and Chris Cavender, said she wanted to create a wine shop that would be comfortable for customers who wanted to learn more about wine.

“I had women tell me, ‘Wow, we can come in here and have a glass of wine and not be made to feel stupid,’ ” Hill said.

Paringer said that atmosphere has remained after the ownership change. “We always seem to have more women than men in here,” she said.

Boucher — who had the “you probably wouldn’t understand that wine” experience in a Chicago-area wine shop — has a unique perspective on the wine world: She worked in the wholesale end of the wine business for several years, often pouring at drop-in tastings in Dayton-area wine shops and now operates her own retail wine shop called Serendipity in Columbus, where she sets up in-home wine tastings.

Boucher says women have a thirst for wine knowledge.

“It’s just a reality: A lot more women are coming forward, organizing their own wine-tasting parties and wanting to learn more,” Boucher said.

Boucher chose the path of nonconfrontation when she encountered the dismissive wine store clerk’s attitude, refraining from pointing out to the man that she knew that Burgundy producer quite a bit better than he did.

But Bleses, who was served the flat Champagne, sent it back, even though the server tried to tell her the wine had few bubbles because it was a well-aged Champagne. She pointed out that she has tasted that very vintage several times in restaurants and at home, and it was plenty bubbly each time.

“Clean your glasses, open a new bottle and see what the result is,” she told the server.

Bleses and her husband, Tony, heard the telltale pop of a Champagne cork, and out came a glass, filled with bubbles.

— Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Permalink | |

Do you REALLY want to know how that wine was made?

By Uncorked | Sunday, March 4, 2007, 07:32 AM

I mean, do you reeeeeeeally want to know? Can you handle the truth?

Do you think winemakers should be forced to disclose on their labels whether they engaged in practices such as adding sugar, oak chips, acid, water, glycerol (to add body) or dyes (to boost color)?

Take a look at this survey from WineRelease.com, which surveyed 469 consumers and 123 wine industry folks (not a huge polling sample, but still, a snapshot) about such winemaking practices and whether those practices were “okay, no need to disclose on label,” or “okay, but should be disclosed on label,” or, “should not be allowed.”

Notice that there’s quite a difference of opinion between consumers and those in the wine trade over the acceptability of some of these practices and the need to alert wine drinkers about the practices.

My blogging colleage Tom Wark of Fermentation fame believes putting many sorts of winemaking techniques on labels is likely to confuse consumers who don’t understand the nature of the technique.

I’m not sure I agree. What do you think?

Perhaps we should ponder this over a glass of fermented grape juice, water, acidity, oak dust, glycerol and more.

Cheers!

Mark Fisher