Photo by Roblisameehan

Killer Wine App
Full transparency…this article isn’t about an actual new killer phone app, but it’s still a great read.  Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator writes how wineries should be doing a better job telling the stories of their wines to potential customers, vs. relying on magazines, blogs and other sources to do so for them.  He points out mobile as a huge opportunity.  I agree..and add social media and fantastic web presence to that as well.  Your thoughts?

Mother Nature Throwdown. The 2009 Vintage Report
Nancy Bentley of Kinkead Ridge Winery talks about the extremely tough 2009 vintage, driven by an unusually damp and cold summer.

Wine Predictions for 2010
Tim Elliot of Wine Cast makes a few interesting and bold predictions that tie nicely to the Killer Wine App article above:  wineries going mobile and integrating social media are both included.  His boldest prediction…a major wine pub folds!

New York Governor reopens supermarket wine sales debate
Next time you grab a bottle of wine from a local convenient or grocery store be thankful.  Not happening in New York where wine can only be sold in licensed liquor stores.  From Decanter.com…NY Governor David Paterson is trying to get that law changed to alleviate a $7.4 billion budget deficit.  That’s a lot of wine.

What to do when they bring you the bottle
From Wine for Newbies, helpful article if you’ve not yet been put in charge of wine selection at a restaurant.  Have to admit I never ask to feel the bottle prior to the waiter opening, but I should start.

Behind The Smoke: 5 Questions with Victor Gallegos of Sea Smoke Cellars
I have to try the 2004 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir.  I’ve been hearing a ton of great things about this wine, so I was pleasantly surprised to come across this interview of Sea Smoke’s director of winemaking from The Wellesley Wine Press.  You might recognize Sea Smoke from the movie Sideways.

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.

Well, it’s been an exhausting week and it’s nice to relax a bit and just write about something that really put a smile on my face tonight – a 2008 Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne blend.

On to the wine…this is a white from one of my favorite Ohio River Valley wineries that we picked up last weekend, and wow do I love it! I know Ron and Nancy out at Kinkead Ridge are very excited about this wine and after tasting it I understand why. This wine is SO refreshing and flavorful all at the same time – it made a wonderful pairing with our cajun shrimp and pasta alfredo tonight! It’s a 57% Viognier, 43% Roussanne blend and I detect a bit of honeysuckle on the nose in addition to the fruit forward aromas. In your mouth the wine has just a tinge of tingliness and I actually noticed a bit of spice, almost like ginger or something, again, in addition to the very flavorful fruit notes like orange and pear.

I’ve always been a big fan of Ron’s red wines such as his 2006 Revelation Red and before that the 2005 Syrah, but this white may actually be my favorite wine he has produced. The wine runs $15.95 a bottle and is well worth that. For a list of where to find Kinkead Ridge wines, click here. If you’re in the Southern Ohio area, I would really encourage you to visit Kinkead Ridge on a Saturday afternoon and check out all they have to offer. For me, tonight’s glass offered a nice relaxing break from some of the stress I’ve had the past week or so. Tentative plans are to head to Napa next week, so I should have plenty to blog about soon. Happy tasting all, hope you enjoy the first miracle!

You can read more of Aaron’s reviews at his blog, Enjoying the First Miracle.  You also find him on Twitter.

The 2nd annual Wine Clash pitted 11 of Ohio’s best wines against 11 of Michigan’s best wines.  Panels of wine lovers, writers and professionals judged the wines in Ann Arbor and Columbus to determine the winners.

Kinkead Ridge’s strong placing was especially impressive given it was the only Ohio wine to finish in the top 5.  The complete top 5 list includes:

• Longview Winery and Vineyard “Winter Ice” 2007
• 2 Lads Cabernet Franc Reserve 2007
• Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc 2007
• Gill’s Pier Meritage 2007
• Wyncroft Avonlea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007

Other Cincinnati area wines included in the competition and considered among the best wines in Ohio and Michigan were the 2007 Kinkead Ridge Riesling which tied for 11th place with the 2008 Meranda-Nixon Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve.

To see the complete list of wines and results or learn more about the competition please visit the Ohio vs. Michigan Wine Clash website.

It’s been a long day and nothing sounds better right now than a nice glass of red wine to finally slow things down. Playing single parent tonight as the wife’s out of town, so decided to open one of my favorite local wines – a 2006 River Village Cellars Cabernet Franc from Kinkead Ridge.

Kinkead Ridge is a local winery located in Ripley, Ohio and run by a great couple named Ron and Nancy. Ron is dedicated to growing and producing French varietal grapes/wine that mirror European styles. I’ve been to his vineyard and I have to say it’s amazing. I would call Ron very Type A when it comes to managing his vines, they are impeccable. So on to this Cab Franc…

Kinkead Ridge released this wine under their 2nd lable of River Village Cellars, and this tells you a little something about how particular Ron is about his wines. The Cab Franc has won several medals in both domestic and international competitions and has been compared to wines at 3 or 4 times it’s price range. They offer the Franc at $12.95 a bottle and it’s well worth it.

As to my personal thoughts on the wine – the nose is interesting, a combination of earthy and smokey aromas hits me. It’s a very approachable wine, with a good balance of acidity and tannins allowing it to sit easily in your mouth. It’s flavors include a bit of spice as well as typical Cabernet Franc tastes. Overall, I highly enjoy this wine. I would strongly encourage you to check out Kinkead Ridge’s website and give them a visit when they open back up in the summer. Just tell them you enjoy the first miracle and heard they have some good wine!

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.