The 3rd annual event has turned out to be a very hot ticket with all the VIP tickets already sold.  A few more General Session tickets, however, have been released at $40 each.  Snatch them up quickly by visiting www.beerfesttickets.com.  The General Session runs from 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM…or until the beer runs out.

The beer list is pretty impressive for this year’s event with 140 bottles and drafts offered to attendees.  Some of the Cincinnati-area beers being poured include:

• BarrelHouse Cumberland Pale Ale, Red Legg Ale, Boss Cox Double IPA, Double Bock
• Christian Moerlein Barbarossa, OTR, Emancipator Dopplebock
• Mt. Carmel Brewing Company
• Rivertown Brewing Company Bock, Oatmeal Stout, HopBomber, Dunkel, Helles.  Debuting at Cincy Winter Beer Fest.

If you have a ticket…enjoy!  Looks like it will be the best Cincy Winter Beer Fest yet.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this “Gentlemen-only” wine tasting is geared towards helping guys pick that perfect bottle of wine to impress their ladies.

For $40 each attendee will get:

• Wine education for selecting the perfect bottle for Valentine’s Day
• Four different food and wine pairings to sample
• 15% off any wine purchased evening of the tasting
• A gift certificate towards your next visit

Elizabeth McFarland from Tino Vino tells us the idea came from some of their regular customers, who happen to be women, complaining their husbands and boyfriends can’t seem to pick a good bottle of wine, but of course won’t admit it! This Gentlemen-only tasting is designed to create an atmosphere where guys can feel comfortable learning about wine, and walk away feeling confident in their wine-choosing abilities.

Guys can choose either Wednesday, February 10 or Thursday, February 11 to attend the tasting event…perfect timing to help make sure this Valentine’s Day is the best yet (or at the very least includes the best wine yet).

Tino Vino is a boutique winery, wine bar and do-it-yourself wine making facility located on Erie Avenue in East Hyde Park (just across from Sake Bomb). Their mission is to create a fun, friendly atmosphere for all wine lovers…and make some awesome small batch wine at the same time.

For more info or to secure your spot give Tino Vino a call at 513.871.8466.

Tino Vino profile on Uncorked Cincinnati

For those new to the Bacchanalian Society and their mission, from the Bacchanalian website…

By helping charities to organize and conduct wine tastings every quarter – that’s right, only four events a year – the Bacchanalian Society integrates social and professional networking with philanthropy. The wine tastings attract a diverse mix of inquisitive, young professionals – wine novices and wine experts alike – to join on common ground for the benefit of charity. Everyone is welcome, as long as you’re over 21, but wine snobs should check their attitudes at the door.

Bacchanalian Society wine tasting events are competitive, which is also a bit unique. You and the other participants provide the wine and also serve as the wine tasting judges. The competition is based on what the Bacchanalian Society calls the Rule of Three, and instead of trying to explain those rules in detail here please visit the Bacchanalian Society website to get the rundown.

The Winter Gathering details:

Date & Time:  January 28, 7:00-10:00 PM
Location:  Music Hall
Wine Varietal:  Spanish Reds
Charities:  CET & Cincinnati Public Radio
Suggested Donation: $10.00 per person in advance (by 3pm 1/28) or $15 per person at door
RSVP:  Click Here

The Bacchanalian Society events are a bit different and a ton of fun, and of course always benefit a great charity.  So grab a couple of friends, your favorite Spanish Reds and head to Music Hall on the 28th.

Thanksgiving Saturday was one of the most enjoyable days of the year for a local wine fan. For the last 4 years or so, several Southern Ohio wineries have gotten together and put on a Barrel tasting day on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Given that the wineries are all a bit spread out in location, we were only able to visit three of the six or seven participating, but we enjoyed every one.

Let’s start with our first stop of the day, Kinkead Ridge in Ripley. Kinkead was sampling 4 varieties from their 2008 vintage all still aging in the barrels – Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Verdot. I’ll start by noting, 2008 was an amazing growing year for grapes here in Southern Ohio – hot and dry with a late harvest. With that fact in mind, it’s no wonder all 4 of the wines Ron at Kinkead was sampling were absolute BOMBS. I tend to talk up Ohio wines probably more than I should, but for once I think it’s no exaggeration to say no one would ever believe these wines come from Ohio – they taste way more like huge reds from northern California. My personal favorite at this point was the Syrah which will be the first Kinkead has put it’s primary label on since 2005. Each of these wines will be released around Labor Day 2010 so be sure to make a note of it for future reference.

From there we headed just up the road to Meranda Nixon winery. Meranda is located on a former tobacco farm which was converted over to grapes about 6 years ago. Each time I visit I continue to be impressed with winemaker (and owner) Seth’s Chardonnays. First he released an American Chardonnay that was produced from purchased California grapes and now he has moved on to making and bottling his own Estate grown Chardonnay. We tasted the 2009 which is obviously brand new and very young at this point but certainly showing great promise already. In addition we also tasted their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon which like Kinkead’s is already big and robust as well as a 2009 Norton. If you’re not familiar with it Norton is a true American grape and does well in areas like Ohio. This one was also very young and will continue to change dramatically over the next couple years of aging.

Our final stop of the day was at an old favorite, Harmony Hill in Bethel. The Hill was tasting 3 wines from the barrel as well – their 2009 Woodwind which is a Seyval Blanc, 2009 Rhapsody – a Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and the 2009 Ruboto – their crowd pleasing Chambourcin. Each wine was shaping up nicely and will be sure to be in high demand once bottled and available when Harmony Hill opens back up with live entertainment in the late spring.

All in all it was a great day in Southern Ohio wine country. Beautiful weather, some great wines, and some of the most friendly people you will come across. Each Ohio vintner really appreciates the art of winemaking and the art of making their visitors happy. I encourage everyone to get out and visit these wineries when you’re in the area.

Each March the Duke Energy Convention Center is transformed into a wine tasting and celebration of epic proportion.  600 wines…130 wineries…live music…amazing food.  It’s a tough event to miss!  Founded by Russ Wiles in 1991 the Festival strives to promote the wine industry while raising money for local charities.  Since its founding the Festival has raised $3 million for local charities.

This year’s event looks very impressive as the Cincinnati Wine Festival celebrates its 20th year.  The Festival is made up of three main events:  the Winery Dinners, the Charity Auction and Luncheon, and of course the Grand Tastings.  Details below:

Winery Dinners
10 of Greater Cincinnati’s Finest Restaurants
Thursday, March 11, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $125 – $150

Charity Auction & Luncheon
Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hall of Mirrors
Saturday, March 13
9:30 a.m. Reception and Auction Lot Preview
11:00 a.m. Live Auction
Winery Luncheon immediately following
Tickets: $125

Grand Tastings
Duke Energy Convention Center
Friday, March 12, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $60 – $75

Special Tasting Room
Duke Energy Convention Center
Friday, March 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35 plus the purchase of a Grand Tasting ticket

Michael Mondavi, a well-known name in the wine industry, will serve as the 2010 Honorary Chair. Michael is the Founder of Folio Fine Wine Partners, an importer/producer of quality wines from the world’s premiere and emerging wine regions. Michael began his career in 1966 when he co-founded the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley with his father, Robert Mondavi. After holding many leadership roles within the company Michael established Folio in 2004 with his wife and their children. Over the years, Michael has been recognized as an industry leader and has received numerous awards. These awards include; “Who’s Who in Food and Wine” award by the James Beard Foundation in 1998, and the “World of Food and Wine” Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

For more information please visit the Cincinnati International Wine Festival website.

My wife and I have attended six tastings at The Wine Merchant and it seems each one is better than the previous.  The Wine Merchant tastings are elegant but casual with attendees being able to move at their own pace and in whatever order they wish.  The staff is also extremely knowledgeable on each wine which is perfect for a relative newbie like me looking to learn and have fun at the same time.  The folks at The Wine Merchant clearly want each person to leave with a better understanding and appreciation of the wines being tasted.

Now a quick background on the Bordeaux region.  At more than 280, 000 acres, the Bordeaux region in France is the 2nd largest wine-growing area in the world.  The soil structure heavy in calcium is ideal for growing vines which is a big reason for the region’s success and world popularity.  The vast majority of Bordeaux wines are red, outnumbering white six to one.

On to the wines.  Another unique trait of Bordeaux wines is they are nearly all blended, the most common blend being Merlot and Cabernet.  The Bordeaux tasting at The Wine Merchant was no exception with some amazing Merlot/Cabernet blends that ended up being among our favorites.  Below are the wines featured during the Bordeaux tasting and some collective thoughts from the group tasting with me.

Whites

• 2008 Château Laulerie – Montravel
  Very clean and fresh.  Overall we thought this was an OK wine but a pretty good value at $12.
• 2007 Château Marjosse – Entre-Deux-Mers
  This was our preferred white by far.  A ton of flavor.

Reds

• 2005 Château Laulerie – Bergerac (Right Bank)
  The first Red immediately reminded us why Bordeaux Reds receive such world acclaim.  Silky smooth with some spice in the finish.
• 2005 Château Feret Lambert – Bordeaux Supérieur (Right Bank)
  Wow.  This one was one of my favorites and in our group’s top three.  A lot of black raspberry and spice, blended perfectly.  The baby blue label on this bottle isn’t hard to look at either!
• 2006 St. Colombe – Côtes de Castillon (Right Bank)
  Complex and warm.  You can picture yourself in front of the fireplace enjoying this.
• 2006 Château Larrivaux – Haut-Médoc (Left Bank)
  Another wonderful rich wine, a bit sweeter than the St. Colombe.
• 2005 Château Saint-Estèphe – Saint-Estèphe (Left Bank)
  Another amazing option that made it into our group’s top three.  The folks at The Wine Merchant say this pairs well with a steak and I agree.
• 2005 Château d’Aurilhac – Haut-Médoc (Left Bank)
  And of course they saved the best for last.  This was our consensus top pick.  It’s absolutely creamy dreamy with a long finish you hope keeps going and going.

The Bordeaux tasting at The Wine Merchant was my favorite tasting so far this year.  They always do an amazing job of choosing a nice variety of wines across multiple price points.  As I said earlier The Wine Merchant staff is also extremely knowledgeable, making it a great place to learn and explore.  You can learn more and find out when the next tasting will be at The Wine Merchant website.