For this special “The Night Before the Night Before…” tasting the special guest will be Mark Rehrig from Glazer Distributing.

The Wines

J Vineyards Brut NV – $19.99

2009 Cameron Hughes Chardonnay – $14.99

2008 Pedroncelli friends.red – $9.99

2007 Cameron Hughes Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – $13.99

Piazza Discepoli is located in the historic Glendale town square — 23 Village Square.  Call 513.771.6611 for more info.

Photo by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

Start your Cincinnati Fourth of July weekend at Piazza Discepoli in downtown Glendale for their Friday Night Wine Tasting. Glendale’s historic Town Square is one of my favorite spots in the city, and a quintessential American town square that’s perfect for celebrating the Fourth.  Piazza Discepoli will be featuring the Staff’s Favorite Picks, from a 2009 Simi Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc to a 2007 Joel Gott Mohr-Fry Ranches Vineyard Zinfandel.  The tasting runs from 5:00-8:00 PM.

Afterward grab dinner at The Iron Horse Inn also in the Glendale Town Square. Iron Horse offers a couple of different dining options. Downstairs features fine dining at affordable prices, while the upstairs bar area called Bracker’s Tavern is more casual featuring pub-type fare. A huge wine list along with several craft beers makes it a great stop.

On Saturday it’s time to get out and enjoy the sunshine, and a great place to do that is Harmony Hill Vineyards in Bethel, Ohio.  Harmony Hill is a boutique winery that features award winning wines along with great music.  On Saturday from 2:00-5:00 PM acoustic guitarist Mark Hundley will be performing.  Stroll the vineyard, grab a bottle of wine and sit back and enjoy the music.

For dinner on Saturday night head to 20 Brix, located in historic downtown Milford (catching on to the historic downtown theme yet?).  20 Brix is a wine bar, wine seller and restaurant all rolled into one, and has become one of my favorite places to dine in Cincinnati.  The food is impeccably prepared and delicious, and you won’t find a better wine list in Cincinnati.

On Sunday, perhaps after running in Evendale’s July 4th 10K run, try Dilly Cafe in Mariemont for lunch (UPDATE: Dilly Cafe is still a great place for lunch, but just found out they are closed on July 4th).  Dilly Cafe is truly one of the great lunch spots in Cincinnati (try to grab a table outside).  It’s tough to go wrong with anything on the menu, but my favorite is the North Atlantic cod sandwich and sweet potato fries, paired with a Chenin blanc or one of 30 quality wines by the glass.

And of course a Fourth of July weekend just wouldn’t be complete without a fireworks display. Head to Ault Park in Mt. Lookout for their 45th Annual Fourth of July fireworks display.  After the fireworks sit back, relax, and enjoy that extra bottle of Harmony Hill Rubato you brought home.

Have a happy and safe Fourth!

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.

Piazza Discepoli offers clients a professional and informative buying experience all while delivering the best in customer service. Be sure to visit your neighborhood Piazza Discepoli today!