Last night my wife and I made our first trip to Piazza Discepoli’s Glendale location for the “Last Minute Wines for Christmas” wine tasting.

We’ve wanted to visit this shop for awhile as it sits right in the heart of historic downtown Glendale, one of the most charming spots in all of Cincinnati.  Picture a New England town square with quaint shops and wonderful little restaurants, made even more spectacular with Holiday decorations.

Piazza Discepoli opened its first location in College Hill in the Spring of 1989, with the Glendale store added in 2003.  Piazza focuses on a broad selection of American and International wines, commitment to personal service, and an aesthetic environment to deliver an overall great wine experience.  The Glendale store feels welcoming from the minute you work in the door.  We were really impressed with the sophistication and coziness of the store that urges you to stroll and explore.

Last night’s tasting was a selection of the staff’s favorite last minute wines for Christmas.  The list included:

• 2008 Independent Producers Chardonnay – $11.99
  Always nice to taste an American Chardonnay that is more fruit than oak.  Apple and pear was especially forward.
• 2006 Three Doves Merlot – $19.99
  Full disclosure, we’re not huge Merlot fans and the Three Doves wasn’t our favorite of the night, but overall not a bad bottle.
• 2007 Cline Cashmere – $15.99
  Our favorite. A combination of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah gives this wine a smooth, creamy feel.  More importantly, a portion of the Cline Cashmere proceeds helps fight Breast Cancer.
• 2006 Amalaya de Colome – $17.99
  This wine, we discovered at the tasting, comes from the highest vineyard in the world, and the oldest winery in Argentina.  This Malbec is smoothed nicely by Cabernet Sauvignon.
• 2008 Stump Jump Shiraz – $9.99
  The value of the night!  This is a wonderful Shiraz and at $10 an absolute must-have.

At the end of the night we walked away with a bottle of the Cline Cashmere and the Stump Jump, as well as a new appreciation of one of Cincinnati’s great wine shops.

Piazza Discepoli’s Glendale shop is located at 23 Village Square in Glendale.  For more information visit www.PiazzaDiscepoli.com or visit their profile page on Uncorked.

Tags:   Piazza Discepoli · Tastings · Wine Shops