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.