Now that the temperature has dropped here in Ohio, I'm thinking that a nice glass of wine in sunny Las Vegas sounds perfect.
Jennie Garth Enjoys the Juice!
Debonne Vineyards Vidal Blanc 2006 (Grand River Valley)
Debonne Vineyards produces another Gold Medal winning wine with the 2006 vintage of their Grand River Valley Vidal Blanc.
This wine offers a beautiful, rich, amber color as well as the sweetness and thick viscosity you would expect from an ice wine. Reviews were mixed among our crowd, but you either LOVE it or hate it. Those that didn't enjoy the wine pointed out its over-ripe fruit characteristics while the fans pointed to the exact same traits!
I'm not the biggest fan of such a sweet wine, but I love having a bottle around. I may not typically choose an ice wine, but when I do, nothing else can substitute.
Debonne Vineyards Riesling 2006 (Grand River Valley)
A very popular Ohio winery located in Northeast Ohio, Debonne Vineyards has been long known for its excellent Ohio wines. "The wine industry is the tourism industry," says Tony Debevc, who heads Debonne Vineyards in Madison, OH. Their vineyard is nestled amongst historic Victorian bed and breakfast homes in Madison, Ohio making it a very quaint vacation stop.
Debonne Vineyards is best known for Vidal Blanc and Riesling. I love the Riesling and it was recently awarded a Gold Medal at the 2007 Ohio Wine Competition sponsored by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). With such a low price point, I don't think you can go wrong with this bottle even if you aren't the biggest fan of its very sweet, low acid profile.
Debonne Vineyards Riesling 2006 from the Grand River Valley. We recommend it! The low acids pair nicely with creamy sweets such as chocolate.
Virginia Wineries Adapting to Climate Unlike Bordeaux
Root for the underdog! Virginia wineries are joining the fight against the West Coast dominance in American wine. Here's an interesting video clip of a French vintner transported to Virginia, 2,000 miles away from California and a climate resembling her native Bordeaux.
New Law Limits Mail Order Purchases for Buckeyes
Absolutely ridiculous.
A new state law lobbied for by the state's powerful Wholesale Beer and Wine Association, severely restricts out of state mail order purchases in Ohio. In fact, as of September 26th, 2007 any mail order wine from a vineyard that produces more than 63,000 cases per year is outright banned!
Every Buckeye should be sure to contact any wine-of-the-month club membership sites to clarify the issue. Unfortunately, many Ohio residents are finding that their club memberships are being cancelled. This kind of far reaching, lobby-based, lawmaking is an embarrassment.
Under the guise of aiding the Ohio wine industry, the government has outright banned the purchase of a perfectly legal product. It's absurd.
More details at Cleveland.com
Wine Goes "Green"
Maureen McCabe of ColumbusBestBlog.com posted an interesting read on the carbon footprint of worldwide wine shipping. Luckily for us Ohio residents, our conscience can remain clean as we are pretty much smack dab on the line between European and California wines being more "green".
Ms. McCabe writes, "we are the dividing line so Green Columbusites may drink red wines from California or Europe, guilt free… well I guess the guilt thing depends on how much wine you drink and how it affects you."
ColumbusBestBlog.com for further reading.
Wine of Antiquity
Greece:
There is no specific date or place of origin of wine in Greek Culture. Some historians believe that the Phoenician traders brought wine to Crete while others argue that their vino came from the north, via Asia Minor's land route. No matter the origin, wine quickly became an integral part of Greek life.
The people of ancient Greece considered the beverage to be a divine gift, going so far as to reserve a place in their pantheon for a God of Wine. They believed that wine had healing properties and had been gifted from Dionysus, this God. In ancient Greece, some people made their wine for profit but many more made their own for private consumption at home. In fact, most Greeks drank wine on a daily basis, including the children. Water of the ancient world was often dirty and contaminated. In what seems to be a trend among alcoholic beverages, wine owes much of its popularity to the fact that potable water was unavailable. With readily available water considered dangerous, many people saw wine as a safe alternative.
Wine cultivation quickly became a part of ancient Greece's culture. After fermentation, the wine was commonly stored in air-tight ceramic vessels. Wine became a vital economic product of Greece and was one of the few commodities that could be transported with little fear of spoiling.
Each Greek island was known for producing its own unique style of wine. This is contributed to the islands' widely varied climates and soil. The islands of Chios and Lesbos, in particular, were famous for producing extremely high quality wines.
Rome:
Much of the world has been inspired by the Romans for politics, warfare, governmental structure, and the list goes on. Wine making is no different. The Roman military expansions pushed Roman influence into virtually all of the known world, and they took their vines with them. In fact, during the height of the Roman Empire, wine production spread throughout most of Europe, including into France, Spain, Italy and even parts of Britain. Wine was so prevelant, cities such as Pompeii built bars on many street corners to advocate drinking the delightful beverage.
The ancient Romans were well educated in grape varieties, and they were creative with their winemaking ingredients. Unlike today, almost all the wines consumed by the typical Roman would have been what we'd refer to as spiced wines. Wines were often mixed with absinthe, rose petals, mint or pepper. They were also flavored with strong, offputting herbal aromatics such as onions, garlic, and leeks. Pure red or white wines were not the norm for ancient Romans. Many daily drinkers would never taste a pure wine in their entire life.
As if giving most of the great wine regions of the world the culture to appreciate wine, the Romans brought a vital piece of technology to wine making: Glassblowing. Prior to glassblowing, wine was stored in ceramic or earthen jugs which would often alter the wine's flavor and aroma profiles. Glass had no effect on the wine, and glass bottles soon became the vessel of choice for wine storage.
Planning a Party
The first step is deciding how much wine you will need. For cocktail parties or buffets, plan on about 1 1/2 glasses per person, per hour. Each 750 ml bottle contains about 6 glasses. If you are hosting a more formal wine tasting, the conversation about each wine will slow consumption and you can lower this estimate to 1 glass per person per hour.
For example, 10 guests for 2 hours would consume approximately 30 glasses of wine or 5 bottles. Of course, this depends upon the day of the week, time of day, amount of food, and your guests but it's a good rule of thumb to begin. In general, a dinner party can be expected to consume 2 bottle per person over the entire meal.
For less formal gatherings, or to stretch your wine budget, consider making your own punch or wine coolers. A sweet or semi-dry Ohio fruit wine with a little club soda and a fruit or mint garnish makes for a memorable night. You could always create a classic Sangria by mixing cut-up fresh fruit, dry red or white Ohio wine, club soda or lemon-lime soda and pouring over ice into a tall glass (keep the crystal in the cabinet).
Invent your own wine mash up with an Ohio sparkling wine and fruit nectar or crushed fruit. Pureed strawberries, peaches or raspberries with a splash of Ohio sparkler make a real treat for you and your guests. The sky is the limit. As with all things wine, the only important rule is "Drink what you like." Yours is the only opinion that matters when it comes to wine enjoyment.
Match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. Lighter, simpler foods do well with similar wines and vice versa. Sweet or semi-dry wines tame the heat from some spicy ethnic dishes. Beware of high alcohol wines with spicy foods, as the alcohol will accentuate the heat of your dish.
Throw out all of the rules and go your own way into the wonderful world of Ohio wine. We are well passed the time when hard fast rules such as "Red with red, white with white" are obeyed. Have fun and experiment. Your guests will appreciate your ingenuity and enthusiasm for your latest wine selection or creation far more than yet another dinner with the same old wine they've known for years.
Characteristics of Cool Climate Wine
Just what is meant by a cool climate wine?
Wines are the sum expression of many factors. The soil, sun and weather in the vineyards all make up what is called "terroir" in wine terms. Around the world winemakers seek out the perfect terroir to elicit the very best from their grapes. Grapes grow in hot dry climates, warm sunny climates, on the sides of mountains, and right next to cornfields. Some are even picked frozen on the vine. It truly is a versatile plant, though the Ohio terroir focuses almost exclusively on the traditionally cooler climate wines.
Ohio and many regions of Europe, Northern California, and Oregon have what is known as cool climate viticulture. Among other things, this means shorter growing seasons, colder winters and generally less predictable weather. This impacts the wine in dramatic ways. In general terms, the flavor elements of the grape need as long as possible to develop on the vine. Finding ways to extend the growing season or increase the sun on the vines is critical to producing a quality wine grape. Thankfully, modern research and technology has helped to manage vineyards in many different climates and soil types to produce fine wines outside of the ideal wine producing climates.
Cool climate wines tend produce a higher acidity, producing crisp and tangy citrus or bright berry flavors. The fruit flavor is more forward, and combined with the increased acid content, makes cool climate wines excellent partners for all kinds of food. Temperature and lack of sun produce wines with generally lower alcohol content. White wines produced in cool climates are more likely to develop more subtle fruit characteristics such as apple and pear flavors. In red wines, you'll discover cranberries, red currants, cherries, and other lighter berry flavors.
Even if you think that your preference for wines is a big, luscious California red, try an Ohio Cabernet Sauvignon and experience the clean, fruit-forward style. When speaking of wine, it is hard to use terms such as "better". Ohio wines are certainly different than the big California wines that receive much more sun. Try to not to compare the two, but settle in and enjoy each for what it brings...ahem...to the table. There are many styles and varietals that simply do not do well in the California climate. In Germany, where Riesling is king, wine producers make hundreds of variations based upon ripeness of the grape, style, and terroir. In Ohio, Rieslings can vary from one end of the Lake Erie shore to another and from the lake to the Ohio River.
Ohio wines are recognized in major competitions all over the world. Experience the delight of wines made in Ohio at a winery or ask for them at your local wine shop or restaurants. I think you will enjoy their unique character and quality if you can put your pre-conceived notions to the side. The California marketing campaigns would have you believe they invented wine in the United States, but that couldn't be further from the truth. With a little experimentation, you'll find the Ohio wine to suit your taste and expand your wine repertoire beyond the typical California Cabernet in which everyone is familiar.
Tasting Step #3: Finally, We Drink!
We've observed the wine's color.
We're swirled and sniffed for the nose.
At last, we get to drink!
Their are 3 distinct characteristics of a wine to be gleaned by your mouth.
- Mouth Feel (Do the tannins dry the mouth? Is the wine thick and heavy?)
- Flavor (Blackberry? Leather? Black Pepper? Citrus?)
- Finish (How long do the flavors and mouth feel last, and how do they change as they fade?)
That's it. You've fully tasted a wine, using your senses of smell, taste, and feel together to create a complex picture of the wine. Don't worry if you taste blackberry, while everyone around you detects strawberry. Wine is very subjective, with our impressions changing on everything from our own physiology to what we've eaten for lunch.
What's most important is that YOU have a tool set to find your own perfect wine. It's out there, but lucky for us all...it takes a lot of trial and error to find it!
For further tasting information, please refer to the tagging map under "Tasting Steps"
Tasting Step #2: "The Nose"
In "wine-speak" the nose is nothing more than the smell of a wine...the combination of aromatics. And oh, what aromatics there are. Over 500 unique aromatic compounds have been found in wine. As these different chemical compounds mix in varying ratios, we get the overall complex smell of the wine: The nose.
When experiencing the nose of a wine, the first act is to swirl.
Hold the glass by the stem or base, swirl the glass to get the wine moving. This does two things to enhance our enjoyment of the wine, as well as increase our knowledge about the wine's character before we taste the first sip. First of all, note the physical behavior of the wine as it runs back down the side of the wine goblet. The way that wine clings to a glass and then trickles down tells you something. It is referred to as the "legs" of the wine. A wine that runs slowly back down the glass in distinct streams is high in alcohol, sugar, or both. A wine that falls back into the bell of the glass quickly and raggedly may be old, light, or dry. Be careful that you have an absolutely clean glass. The smallest amount of detergent or lint can interfere with the surface tension of the wine. To ensure that all detergent is removed from the glass, you may want to do what is known as "seasoning the glass". This means that a small amount of wine is poured into the glass, swirled around, and then discarded before the wine tasting process even begins.
Now onto the nose, or the smell of the wine.
Raise the glass to your nose and sniff while noting the distinct aromas. Next, swirl the glass again and inhale more deeply with your mouth open over the glass. Smell with your mouth open? Indeed. Smell and taste are complimentary senses and wired very closely together in your brain. You may be surprised at how the intensity and character of the nose will change between the initial sniff, and the mouth-open one. The most common scents in wine are floral, fruity, spicy, vegetative, or wood odors. The fruity aromas usually come from the grapes themselves. The more complex aromas such as yeast, butter, or oak come from the fermentation and aging processes. The aromas produced as wine matures are often very subtle and difficult to describe, but that's the joy of it all. Each bottle...each sip offers a unique and new experience.
Here is a fantastic Aroma Wheel that will help with categorizing the nose of nearly any wine.
For further tasting information, please refer to the tagging map under "Tasting Steps"
Tasting Step #1: A Wine's Color
Did somebody say wine color? Red, White, and Blush. Lesson over, right?
Not so fast.
These are indeed the two most basic types of wine based upon color, but splitting all wines into such large groups doesn't do us much good. Let's delve a bit deeper and create a few more categories, shall we?
All varietals will have different color characteristics that we won't delve too far into here. One less obvious clue a wine's color gives us, is its age.
White wines move through this color spectrum (in general) as they age, from top to bottom. White wines tend to gain color as they age:
- Colorless
- White/Green
- Yellow/Straw
- Gold
- Amber
- Purple
- Red
- Ruby
- Brick
- Mahogany
- Brown
- Pink
- Red
- Orange
- Amber
In good light, look at the wine against a plain white background (Men, use your shirt sleeve). Hold the glass by the base or the stem and tilt the glass slightly. Look down on the wine and view the clarity, the color, and the hue of the wine. Also notice how much color graduates from the center of the glass to the rim. These are your first clues to a wines character before moving to your other senses.
For further tasting information, please refer to the tagging map under "Tasting Steps"
Tastings: Why We Taste Wine
A good wine is whatever wine you like no matter if that is an expensive vintage Bordeaux or a cheap bottle of blush. The process of regimented wine tasting is to help YOU discover what you like. Forget about the snobbish attitude you might associate with a "fancy" wine tasting. A wine tasting is not about comparing observations and deciding who is correct. It is nothing more than a system where you can catalog your experiences with a wine, grouping wines in easy to understand categories. Wine drinkers should follow several steps when evaluating a wine. Knowing the steps will help you appreciate the beauty and complexity of wine while creating an easily organized catalog of what you like in your wine (or wine pairing).
In order to get more out of your wine drinking experience, you need to consider the wine in three stages: look, smell, and taste. I recommend that you write down your impression of each wine in a simple notebook with the date, place, details from the label, price, where it was purchased, and the size of the bottle.
- Look
- Smell
- Taste
That's not so hard is it? As you begin to expand your knowledge of wines, try to write 3 or 4 adjectives for each of the Look, Smell, Taste categories. Perhaps you can associate each with another food, berry, or spice. All these descriptions will help flesh out your wine knowledge, and more importantly, your wine enjoyment.
Stay tuned for further articles where we'll delve more deeply into the finer points of wine tasting, as well as the etiquette involved.
The History in a Nutshell
Ohio has a long history of wine production. As early as the 1800s, settlers along the Ohio River were exploring winemaking in Ohio, mostly in the southern areas near present-day Cincinnati. They planted a grape varietal called "Catawba" that led to a semi-sweet wine that would be called very light in body by today's standards of red wine. This was a distinctly different wine than the European-styles which were much more popular during that time.
The fledging Ohio wine industry thrived up to the Civil War. In fact, Ohio was the largest wine producing state in the union! All that changed during the Civil War, however. Manpower was scarce and neglected vines were allowed to fall to disease and mildew, destroying most of the region’s grape vines. The Ohio wine industry never recovered.
As the southern Ohio wine district was faded from its former glory, a new wine area emerged along the Lake Erie coast in northern Ohio. German immigrants, who were flocking to that area in the late 1800s, brought German winemaking techniques with them, and that, combined with the unique lake climate, produced some excellent wines. Wineries popped up from the Lake Erie Islands, near Sandusky, all the way east to the Pennsylvania border. This narrow strip became known as the “Lake Erie Grape belt.”
This "Lake Erie Grape Belt" continues to produce fantastic wines today.
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