So much about wine speaks a romantic language to us: from its history dating back thousands of years, to the beauty of the vineyards from which the fruit is borne, to the careful artistic process the winemaker goes through to produce it.

Photo by Rdesai

Add to those facts the traditional nuances of the drinking experience such as the distinct “pop” of a cork, the swirl of a glass, the pleasant aromatics, the fulfilling taste and wine becomes a downright peacemaker…if not full fledged aphrodisiac. However, how many times do we pause to consider the FULL story?

A few weeks back those of us in Southern Ohio experienced something not all that rare for this part of the globe…a May frost. Now to most of us scurrying from home to job these mornings were nothing more than a chilly reminder that winter had not quite given up her grip just yet. However, for the local vineyards and winemakers, a May frost can be a taxing, and potentially very costly, headache. Typically the grapevines which produce wine variety grapes begin to bloom in our area around the middle of April. This is good as it means they will have five to six months of “growing season” to produce and ripen the year’s grape crop. However, it also leaves the vines with a risk of a late frost bite – one that would drastically reduce the total production of the vineyard and leave a winery with very little to work with come fall.

On May 8th I went out to visit Harmony Hill Vineyards who were having a special open date for the Bethel Arts and Crafts day. While chatting with the owners I asked about the frosty nights, and if they had lost any of the crop. They explained to me that during the brisk nights Bill, the owner, would come out to the vineyard around 3:00 AM and begin burning hay bales! Bill would check the direction of the wind then setup burning hay bales so the warm smoke would drift over the vines, keeping them just warm enough to ward off the frost biting all around them. So how romantic does a 3:00 AM jaunt into the vineyard to setup some hay fires sound? Not much right?

I guess you could say frost prevention is just one of the messy parts of the wine lifestyle. I’ve made a few batches of my own over the years, as well as spending time at Harmony Hill during harvest season.  And I must say – it’s not all romance. One of the first things that comes to my mind is bees – lots of bees! When you’re in the middle of crushing literally tons of grapes the bees find the resulting sweet juice to be something of a mecca. As you dump baskets full of grapes into a crushing machine you feel a bit like a honeymaker collecting the honey, only without the bee suit. Another thought is “oh my aching back.” Harvesting grapes from a small scale vineyard (where they are harvested the best way – by hand) includes plenty of time stooped over to pluck the clusters off the vines. By the end of the day your back really reminds you how romantic wine is!

And finally I think of the incessant cleaning…and cleaning, and cleaning and…you get the picture. If cleanliness truly is next to Godliness, then wine is not only romantic but certainly very holy! Everything about the winemaking process must remain impeccably clean, which means loads of time spent with water and cleansing solution going over everything from baskets to tanks to piping to even bottles. By the time you’re done you feel like shaving your head, putting on an all white outfit and sticking in an earring (had to work in a Mr. Clean reference there somehow).

So with all this said, here’s a request: the next time you and someone special sit down to dinner or just to unwind for the evening, and you pop the cork, sip some wine and start to feel all warm and fuzzy inside…take a moment to think of the wonderful folks who brought that wine to life…and of the burning hay bales that may have actually made that moment possible. Here’s to you all, and hoping you always Enjoy the First Miracle!

This weekend you can experience a wine cave for yourself by visiting Harmony Hill Vineyards in Bethel for their Summer Kick-off event. Harmony Hill’s underground wine cave is one of only four similar structures in the country, and the only one within a 40 state area.

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Harmony Hill’s 2008 Rubato took home a Gold medal while the 2007 Refrain took home a Bronze. The Rubato is 100% Chambourcin (French-American hybrid), barrel-aged to produce a vibrant aromas and flavors of toffee, black currant and cherry compote set off by plenty of smoky, toasty oak and a hint of black pepper. The Refrain is a Cabernet blend that pops with ripe berries and firm tannins.

For the past 25 years the Hilton Head International Wine Festival has been promoting the island as a top food and wine destination.  Outside of the wine there are several culinary events that also celebrate the Festival.

Harmony Hill Vineyards is one of the area’s premier winery destinations.  In the summer time they are known for their Friday and Saturday night entertainment featuring local music talents.  Harmony Hill’s underground wine cave is also worth the trip, one of only four similar structures in the U.S.

Harmony Hill is closed for the season but will re-open Memorial Day weekend.  In the meantime visit their website or try Harmony Hill Wines for yourself at one of these Cincinnati locations.

Whole Foods – Norwood
Biggs – Hyde Park, Mason, Eastgate, Anderson
Andy’s Mediterranean Grill
Market Wines – Findlay Market

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.

Harmony Hill and Kinkead Ridge Wineries were recently profiled on America’s Heartland, a magazine-style, half-hour series highlighting the U.S. agriculture world. The feature highlights these local gems as being leaders in the renewed Ohio wine efforts.

Check out the segment to get a closer look at Harmony Hill and Kinkead Ridge and their efforts to push the Ohio River Valley wine region forward.