No tour of a winery would be complete without a discussion of the wines. Valley Vineyards offers the third-largest estate winery in the state of Ohio, with some of the oldest vines in the Ohio River Valley. After forty years of making wines, it should come as no surprise that they do it well.

During the tour of the cellar, Joe Schuchter, grandson of Ken Schuchter, founder of the winery offered Brett Johnson and myself a barrel tasting of what will be released as the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($39.99), a silver medal winning wine at the 2010 Ohio Wine Competition. This wine would stand against any similarly priced Cabernet Sauvignon from California or Bordeaux. It offered a nose of cherry, violets, and tobacco, with intense flavors of cherry, plum, and chocolate. Though aged for 24 months in oak, the effect on the palate was a wonderful compliment, offering sweet vanilla notes without overpowering the fruit flavors. It also offered a deliciously long finish.

We were also able to try the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Syrah 2008 ($29.99), produced from vines planted in 1964, the oldest vitis viniferia vines in the Ohio River Valley. This is a dark, smokey wine with great concentrations of jammy, dark fruit flavors. A review on this wine can be found in a previous post here.

We then ordered the Dry Wine Tasting Tray ($8.00) from the tasting room, which offered 9 different white and red varietals.

We started with the Valley Vineyards American Chardonnay ($9.99), a wonderful example of unoaked Chardonnay. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, this wine offers clean, crisp melon and citrus notes with a great core of acid. Unoaked Chardonnays have received a great deal of attention in recent years from wine publications and critics and this wine is a great example of why: its clean finish and beautiful structure would compliment a wine variety of summer dishes or be perfect to sip all by itself!

Then came the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Traminette ($12.99) which delivers peach, apricot, and grape-fruit notes around a semi-sweet core and a nose of pure hibiscus and honeysuckle. This wine won a bronze medal at the 2010 Ohio Wine Competition.

The real joy was in the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Seyval Blanc ($8.99), a wine which won a silver medal in the 2010 Ohio Wine Competition. This wine is produced from thirty-year old vines and is aged sur lie in new and used oak. It is a creamy, full, complex wine with hints of brioche, crème brûlée, and toasty vanilla. It is decadent with layers of rich, intense flavors. It is an unbelievable value for the price (order a bottle from the website, before they read this and raise the price!).

The Seyval Blanc was followed by the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Vidal Blanc ($8.99), which is a tasty little wine showing nice flavors of pear, honeysuckle, and almonds. Do not confuse this wine with the Valley Vineyards Vidal Blanc Ice Wine ($24.99/half bottle), which Valley Vineyards was the first in Ohio to commercially produce in 1992. This was a bronze medal awarded wine at the 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.

Next came the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Cabernet Franc Rosé ($11.99), a gold medal winning wine from the 2010 Ohio Wine Competition. Its a wonderful summer wine, offering pleasing notes of strawberry, orange peel, vanilla, and a twist of lemon around a delicate acidic core. Serve this on a hot summer day with a nice salad and enjoy!

The Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Hillside Red ($9.99) is a blend of French hybrids (Chancellor, Chelois, and Foch) and is, perhaps, a bit over-oaked. Look for cherry and vanilla notes, with a nice tannin structure. It was awarded a silver medal in the 2010 Ohio Wine Competition.

Next came the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($19.99). This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, well worth the price! Chocolate, cherry, violet notes, and interlaced with toasty oak notes and a fantastic tannin structure! It is a bottle that could be served all by itself or with an amazing prime rib. A superior value for what the wine offers.

Strangely, the Cabernet was followed by the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley White Reflections ($9.99) and then the Valley Vineyards Ohio River Valley Red Reflections ($9.99), a review of which can be found here.

Valley Vineyards wines can be found at Kroger and bigg’s locations or you can request them from your local winestore through Buckeye Distributing. They can also be ordered online or purchased at the winery in Morrow. The tasting room is open:

Monday to Thursday: 11 am – 6 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11 am – 4 pm
Sunday: 1 pm – 6 pm

Valley Vineyards
2276 East US 22 & 3
Morrow, Ohio 45152

Harmony Hill Vineyards
A small boutique winery in Bethel, just about a 40 minute drive outside of Cincinnati, Harmony Hill is known for two things: great wine and great weekend entertainment.  This weekend will be no exception.  All of the 2009 wines will be available included the Concerto and dessert wines.  A new roof has been added to the Hill Center Stage and great entertainers are lined up all weekend including Doc Dan & the Stray Dog Band, The Suburbanites, and John Ford.  Hours are 5-9 PM on Friday, 2-9 PM on Saturday and 2-9 PM on Monday.

Kinkead Ridge Vineyard and Winery
Located in Ripley, Ohio, Kinkead Ridge specializes in premium wines produced in limited quantities.  A tough 2009 harvest means this weekend might be your only shot to pick up the 2009 releases from Kinkead Ridge.  The winery will be open on Saturday and Monday from 10 AM to 6 PM for the release of the Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne and River Village Cellars White Wine.  Unfortunately Kinkead Ridge will be closed this summer due to the limited availability of wine.

Meranda-Nixon Winery
Also in Ripley, Ohio, Meranda-Nixon pretty much stays open all year, so although not officially their opening it’s still a place you should check out.  The Meranda-Nixon tasting room will be open on Friday from 1-7 PM, and Saturday from 11-9:30 PM.  Saturdays are steak and salmon night in the tasting room…just $50 per couple for dinner and a bottle of wine.

La Vigna Estate Winery
Located in Georgetown, Ohio, La Vigna will be open this Memorial Day weekend for the release of their 2009 Proprietary White Wine and our 2008 Proprietary Red Wine. To celebrate opening weekend, Jazz trombonist Sarah Morrow will be performing on Saturday.

Vinoklet Winery
Home of seven award winning wines, Vinoklet Winery and Restaurant is located on 30 acres of picturesque rolling hills and lakes in Colerain Township.  Vinoklet will be featuring their “Grill to Perfection” dinner this Friday and Saturday evening…tasting of 6 wines, a bottle of wine, a choice of entree (the patron grills), a buffet with soup through assorted desserts, coffee and iced tea for $74 per couple. Reservations are recommended by calling 513-385-9309.

Upon returning to the restaurant from the cellar at Henke Winery, Brett and I ordered dinner. After perusing the menu, it became clear that the decision of what to order would be difficult.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

Take, for example, the choice of whether to have an appetizer. There are altogether too many wonderful options. Consider, if you will, the choice of Pan Seared Cheddar ($10.95) over the Fromage de Jour ($8.95): two gourmet cheeses with Henke wine sausages; both of these would be fantastic with the Henke Riesling (the 2009 winner of “Best Overall in Show“ at the Ohio Wine Competition). Or consider the Mushroom Paté ($6.95), made with sour cream, red onions, and capers, served with a glass of Cabernet Franc, the earthy tones from the mushrooms and the wine would interlace beautifully with one another.

The real delight, though follows under the heading of “entrée” and includes such fare as Grecian New York Strip Steak ($24.95), served with grilled peppers, onions, and feta cheese. This would be amazing with the Vendage á Trois, a Bordeaux-blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Merlot (10%) or with the Zinfandel.

If you are dinning with a vegetarian, consider the Large Baked Portabella Mushrooms ($12.95) and order the Cabernet Franc or the Cabernet Sauvignon.

All entrées are served with a choice of soup or salad (and one should be aware that the salad dressing is made in-house), and a choice of various vegetables, rice, or pesto linguini.

As we were drinking a glass of Seyval, though, both Brett and I choose a lighter meat: fish for Brett and chicken for myself.

Brett ordered the Atlantic Cod filet ($14.95) with the pomme de terre (steamed red potatoes with herbs and butter) and the vegetable of the day (steamed broccoli). The meal opened with a choice of soup or salad, and he chose with salad with a restaurant-made vinaigrette dressing.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

Speaking of his dinner, he says, “When you think of cod, you may think of something deep fried, flash frozen, and sitting on your grocer’s shelf in the frozen section. While cod does lend itself to that option, it is also a delicious fish… when done right. And this was done right. It was moist and tender, very flaky and done just right with the spices. I could not put my fork down. And I couldn’t imagine taking any leftovers home because I know there would not be any left to let them even offer. I ate every last bit of the generous portion and loved every bite. The steamed broccoli and baked potato sides only made a good dish great. When I go to a steakhouse and get a steak, it seems that they just throw on some vegetables and some form of starch for a side. These vegetables went above and beyond their call as a simple side. They were done perfectly; you could tell the cook gave them some TLC.”

I ordered the Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts ($14.95) with the pomme de terre and the vegetable of the day. Like Brett, I also chose the salad with the vinaigrette.

The chicken was moist, tender, and expressive with hints of the oregano and basil with which it was cooked. It had a slightly caramelized edge which gave it a sweet and smoke-like nuance. It was a captivating entrée that was quite impressive. The potatoes were decadent, swimming in their buttery glaze, rich with flavor and hearty tones.

The meal, was, perhaps, one of the finest I have had the privilege to enjoy; but with the generous attention of our kind host, it was elevated to a most joyous experience. Regardless of what you may order, when Joe inevitably comes to your table to inquire about the meal, please invite him for a moment to regale you with an anecdote about his winemaking; it makes the meal into what can only be described as a rewarding experience.

Let us not forget, though, about the final glass of wine that we were honored to try. Henke Winery Seyval 2008 ($12.00) is a powerful and complex wine with hints of lemon peel, bright citrus notes, and a mineral, flinty note that was cocooned in the delightfully rich blanket that only sur lee aging can render. It was a wonderful note with which to end our experience of touring Henke Winery.

In addition to the numerous awards that Henke Winery has received from Ohio competitions, on April 7 the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition announced that Henke was the winner of two gold medals! The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Vendage a Trois (both 2008 vintage) were selected by 56 judges, with national and international credentials, from over 3,000 wines!

Henke Winery would be happy to serve you dinner Monday-Saturday and would be glad to sell you wines during their regular business hours at the winery located in Westwood, near Cheviot. Henke Winery wines are also available at six different Bigg’s locations (including the Mason-Montgomery store) and are available for direct shipping from their website to anywhere in the state of Ohio.

Joe Henke, the winemaker for Henke Winery, would describe himself as a winemaker in the European, or more specifically, the French tradition. But the Cincinnati winemaker did not start off espousing this philosophy. Indeed, initially, Joe thinks of his style as one happily capable of “making mistakes” and learning from such unfortunate events to guide him to where he is today. “You learn by washing a man’s barrels, cleaning his hoses, watching and learning, and working in the cellar, you learn a lot. And by tasting the wines, you find the kind of style that you enjoy; strive to identify it and duplicate it,” says Joe of his experience.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

Of course, he had a great deal of help along the way. Arnie Esterer, the winemaker for Markko Winery encouraged Joe at the beginning of his fledgling career. Asked of Mr. Esterer’s encouragement, Joe says, “He was the first one to plant vinifera in Ohio in 1969 and his wines were of such acclaim that they were served at The Maisonette.” The Maisonette, of course, was the most awarded restaurant in America until it closed in 2005, and was heavily influenced by French culinary traditions. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Joe thinks of himself as a winemaker heavily influenced by the traditions of both Bordeaux and Burgundy.

For Joe, this winemaking philosophy has lead to the realization that his wines are “drier than most” and also influences his technical decisions. “We do a sur lee on some of the whites, such as the Seyval. Sur lee, that’s where you leave it on the yeasts for many months. We do a Bordeaux style, like the Vendage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot; its Left Bank, heavy Cab.”

But no discussion of winemaking philosophy with Joe would be complete without the bon mot “Well, I guess my style is that I hope you enjoy what’s in your glass!”

I was afforded the opportunity to taste five different wines, three of which are available for purchase at this time and two of which were barrel tastings and while be available at the next vintage release.

We started with the 2008 Chardonnay ($14.50) during our interview with Joe. With grapes sourced from the Finger Lakes district and Lodi, Joe has crafted a rich, buttery and complex wine with hints of mango, pineapple, and nutmeg. It exhibited a gorgeous balance between oak integration and fruit flavors, and it had a warm and full mouth feel that drank beautifully without a food to accompany it. Nonetheless, this is a wine designed for a meal! Serve this Chardonnay with any cream- or butter-based sauce, chicken, pork, or seafood and you can certainly see the philosophy of enjoying whatever may be in your glass at work.

Brett Johnson, accompanying me as a technical advisor, says, “Chardonnay is usually overdone and beaten so that the grape itself cannot shine, but rather, the winemaker’s work shines through. While that is not always a bad thing, it can get to a point that in order to tell one Chardonnay from the next, you just have to know how much butter and oak to expect in each. However with this chard, while there was 100% malolactic fermentation, there was much more fruit and balance than I expected there to be.” In discussing the wine, he says, “Really delicious. It was evident from the nose alone that you were in for a real treat.”

From the Chardonnay, we moved to the 2007 Cabernet Franc ($16.00), a whopping 15.7% alcohol by volume wine that leads one to expect that the wine will taste “hot” — in other words, the alcohol will drown out any flavors. Indeed, Joe tells us that at the winery, they call this wine “Mr. Franc” to give it the respect that its alcohol level deserves! Nothing could be farther from the truth: a Gold Medal winning wine at the 2009 Ohio Wine Competition, it delivery an earthy, complex flavor that teems with the best notes of Burgundy. It has a finish that, in my tasting notes, I describe as “goes on forever.” Serve this delicious wine with heavy, rich sauce dishes, beef, or any hearty meat dish, and do not be surprised if it delivers the means of standing up to the meal!

In Sideways, the seminal wine-lovers movie that no critic can avoid using to make a point, Miles says of Cabernet Franc, “I have learned to never expect greatness from a Cabernet Franc, and this is no exception.” Henke Winery Cabernet Franc would be the exception to Miles’ critique of this Bordeaux grape. As a proponent of Cabernet Franc, I heartily recommend this wine to any reader that wishes to try this noble cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Brett says of his experience with this wine, “When drinking this, you are reminded of why you first fell in love with Cabernet Franc. All the beauty and depth of the wine was a showing of just how extraordinary Cabernet Franc can truly be. It was fruity, hearty, deep, sexy, and I’d go as far to say that it was the best glass of Cabernet Franc I have ever had.”

From there, we were given an opportunity to join Joe in his cellar and taste his new Norton and Merlot.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

The Norton (NV: Not Released), an inky, almost black wine, is hailed by Joe as an “American Claret;” research now shows that the Norton grape may be a hybrid of classic European grapes. Nonetheless, the wine, even young, delivers an inviting mouth feel and hints of cherries, plums, and red raspberries, and mingle with a beautiful tannin structure that will lead to a complexity as the wine ages. This was the first time that I have been afforded an opportunity to try a Norton wine and it very much impressed me with its structure and flavor.

In its current vintage, the Norton is a “limited edition” that sells at a retail price of $29.95.

The Merlot (NV: Not Released) is a pleasant, jammy wine that had clean, crisp fruit notes: berry and currant explode from the glass. Its nose evoked a hint of “something sweet” for Brett Johnson, something that conjured a happy memory. While he could not recall the aroma, he certainly did enjoy the wine. It also possesses a core of soft tannins and a nice acid structure that with additional aging will integrate into a delicious wine.

In its current vintage, the Merlot sells at a retail price of $17.00.

From there, we returned to the restaurant to order dinner and try our final glass of wine.

If you want to find the best wine made in the state of Ohio, there is only one place to look: The Ohio Wine Competition, hosted by the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC). For the last three years that august body has given its highest accolades to one winery: Henke Winery of Cincinnati. In 2006 and 2007, Henke Winery was the recipient of “Best Red Wine in the State” for its respective vintages of Norton. In 2009, Henke Winery won “Best Overall of Show” for its Riesling.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

Over the years, I have been happy to define myself as an “East Sider,” and to a Cincinnati-native that philosophy of identity entails never using I-74 to go eastward toward Downtown. But in the case of visiting Henke on Thursday, March 18, I will never again make the mistake of dreading a journey to the West Side. Located at the corner of Harrison and Epworth, Henke Winery appears, from the exterior, to be a quaint home-based winery and wine store: just look for the white-trimmed house with the sign out front. Upon parking in the back, one notices grape vines growing in trellises along the property line, an homage that belies the true purpose of the location.

Entering the establishment, one is overcome by the welcoming aroma of a great kitchen, the sound of live music, and after ascending a few steps to the greeter’s station, a hearty welcome. Do not be surprised when calling Henke Winery to make a reservation, or to get directions, or even upon entering, to be greeted by the proprietor, restaurateur, and winemaker himself, Joe Henke. However, do not let this simple and homey feel delude you into thinking that the menu will be anything less than gourmet or that the wines will be anything less than haute couture. Joe’s pride in running a welcoming environment means that he has selected and trained a staff to implement his recipe for success: a warm smile, a welcoming attitude, and a positive experience.

The restaurant is a kitschy mix of mauve and burgundy tones on grape-bunch covered tablecloths and decorated with wine bottles wearing the winery’s many awards around their necks.

Photo credits by Brett Johnson

Joe is an artist when he seeks to craft a bottle of wine and he is a graceful and attentive host. Observing him at work, one sees him hopping from table to table, ensuring that everyone’s meal is as it should be, and calling out the names of the many regulars that enter. Indeed, his sense of community is so strong that as we sat to speak to him, facing the front windows, he waved to passing pedestrians that smiled in recognition and spoke highly about the community involvement to decrease crime and clean up litter in the surrounding area.

If such topics as community-involvement lightened the mood, the ones that truly sent his eyes twinkling were the discussions of his wines. When asked which was his favorite, he demurred, remarking that it was like the dilemma of choosing a favorite child. When asked, though, what he drinks at home, he said, “Seyval. Seyval is just a very easy drinking, it’s a dry white, it has complexity, it drinks like a red, it coats the mouth. And, of course, reds are always fun to have. And reds, we have one that called Vendage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot and its a wonderful blend.”

For a winery that produces over 4,000 gallons of wine (just over 20,000 bottles) per year and yet does not grow a single vine for harvesting, one must wonder how it all came about. Joe, a former engineer and computer scientist, developed the idea of home-winemaking after his brother-in-law sent him a bottle of home-made Grenache Rosé in 1973. From that simple origin came the original Henke Winery in Winton Place. Joe describes it as “a hobby that got out of control.”

Until the winery moved to its present location, Joe and his wife, Joan, worked full-time jobs as well as staffing the winery and making light meals for the simple restaurant that accompanied it. At that time, they sat around 40 patrons. According to Joe, “It was pizza and cheese trays and things like that and then towards the end we decided, ‘Well, sometimes people want a special dinner,’ so started doing that and it just took off. After that, it just snowballed.”

Now Henke Winery produces 15 different varietals and offers a full menu, with seating for 125. Although they do not grow any of the grapes, they operate a complete winery — crushing, de-stemming, fermenting, and bottling — or as Joe would happily tell, “We do everything Mondavi does except have a vineyard.” The grapes are sourced from Ohio (northern and southern vineyards), New York (Finger Lakes), and California, and shipped to Henke.

Part 2 of Tim’s Henke Winery profile will be coming next Friday.