Gary Vaynerchuk’s Thanksgiving Wine Picks
From Food & Wine, Gary V provides his top Thanksgiving wine picks, all under $50. I can personally vouch for the 2006 De Ponte Cellars Dundee Hills Pinot Noir.  Really good.

Thanksgiving Wine Open Thread
Dr. Vino has a nice little Thanksgiving wine conversation happening where everyone can chime in with their thoughts.  Advice ranges from Big Zins to beer-it!

Thanksgiving Wine Tips from The Wine Merchant
An oldie but goodie from right here on Uncorked Cincinnati.  Last Thanksgiving we heard some great tips from the great folks at The Wine Merchant.

Thanksgiving Wine Under $20: 2010 Edition
From Good Wine Under $20 some great wine recommendations that represent overall value.  This is a very comprehensive list that runs the varietal gamut.

Best advice, though, is to not over think it and just get something you love.  Relax, laugh, eat and drink…and remember that spending time with your family and friends is what it’s really all about.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday – Thanksgiving Wines at The Wine Merchant
The Wine Merchant is making it easy for you to find a few perfect wines for the Thanksgiving table.  Eight wines to choose from along with a few appetizers.  The tasting runs 6:00-8:00 PM.  $25 per person at door, or just $20 by ordering online.

Friday – Lyeth Estate Tasting at Water Tower Fine Wines
A spectrum of wines from Lyeth Estate, predominately red with some white options.  Tasting runs 5:30-8:30 PM.  $15 for 6 wines.

Friday & Saturday – Cabs, Ports and Chocolates at Little Sonoma Fine Wines
Rich and sexy Cabernet Sauvignons and Ports, and chocolates that marry well.  Nothing more needs to be said.  Tasting runs 4:30-7:30 PM on Friday, and repeats on Saturday 3:00-5:00 PM.  $15 with no reservations necessary.

Saturday – A Trip Through Champagnes at microWINES
Kick off the holiday season with a bang! This event features hand selected Champagnes that simply shouldn’t be missed. Explore the different regions, varietals and styles. If you think all bubbly is the same, this tasting will open your eyes to an amazing, complex new world of flavors.  The events runs 5:30-7:30 PM.  $75 per person.

You can view all Cincinnati Wine events by visiting the Uncorked Cincinnati Events page, and let us know if we missed any by sending an email to events@uncorkedcincinnati.com.

Every Saturday in November between 12 and 5 PM The Wine Merchant will offer the following fine wine flights for $15 per flight:

Saturday, November 6th
Spain – Rioja & Priorat
2006 Mas Doix Salanques
2007 Clos Erasmus
1998 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva
2007 Artadi Vinas de Gain

Saturday, November 13th
Italy – Tuscany vs Piedmont
2004 Frescobaldi Brunello
2005 Nardi Brunello
2005 Seghesio La Villa Barolo
2001 Sandrone Le Vigne Barolo

Saturday, November 20
Jadot Burgundy
2003 Pommard Epenots Red Burgundy
2008 Vosne Romanée Red Burgundy
2005 Corton Charlemagne White Burgundy
2008 Puligny Montrachet White Burgundy

Saturday, November 27
Around the World Cabernet
2002 Cheval des Andes – Chile
2007 Guidalberto – Tuscany
2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet – Napa Valley
2004 Mouton – Pauillac, Bordeaux

Call 513-731-1515 for more information or to reserve your space.

Founded by John and Rosemary Vankirk in 1973, The Wine Merchant is now operated by the Vankirk’s daughter, Kathee Vankirk, along with managing partner Lisette Sehlhorst.  We were able to catch up with both on a recent Saturday following one of The Wine Merchant’s famous Friday Night Tastings to talk about the business.

UC:  Taste Before You Buy™ is a trademark for The Wine Merchant.  Can you talk a bit about what that means and why it’s so important?

TWM: That’s the scariest part about the process…actually going in and purchasing a bottle of wine. If you go to the grocery store and have $10 to spend, and you decide to buy a bottle of wine and get home and don’t really enjoy it, then it’s not a good experience. So we always have a selection of 10 or so bottles open during the week and 20 or so on the weekends. People that like the wine they taste at the bar can purchase the wine, and it helps us hone in on what people are describing when they’re wanting a dry wine, or a fruity wine.  The descriptions mean different things to different people. So if we can kind of pinpoint what they are describing that they want we can better make our customers comfortable in their decision.

UC: My wife and I are still developing our palates and just want to taste as much as possible to see what we like. So I’m sure Taste Before You Buy™ is also a great way for people to just explore.

TWM: Part of our company philosophy is to not make wine buying such a mystique. Taste a few things and then decide what you like.  The Friday Night tastings help people do that. People get multiple wines to taste based on a region or a varietal. People like different things, and it’s important for people to realize they don’t have to like everything. That’s why they make more than two types of wines!

Part of Taste Before You Buy™ is to encourage comfort for the customer and also stress that it’s really not complicated. When you go to the grocery store you maybe experiment with one bottle. But if you’ve had a chance to actually taste the wine before you might find out you really like something and maybe want six bottles for your home stash.

UC: What do you think makes The Wine Merchant unique?

TWM: Well, when our parents retired they began traveling and used to go to France five months out of the year. Because they spent so much time in France we have developed a lot of relationships with certain French wineries, so we have a fairly large selection. We hear from other people that it is the largest around. We have a lot of wines from the Bordeaux and Rhone regions in France.

Now that they’re not going to France as much they’re spending a lot of time in California. Because of that we’ve been developing or investigating some of the smaller, less nationally distributed wineries, so hopefully you can find something that won’t be carried in every shop in town.

UC:  What would you say is your specialty?

TWM: People comment on the French selection, but we also have a fairly large Italian selection. We went to Argentina a couple of years ago to learn more about Argentine wines. All the distributors have 10 Malbecs now so it’s difficult to know what to choose for our customers. You always learn more if you actually go to the place of origin and talk to the people who make the wine. You have a better understanding of the geography and overall better knowledge.

UC: Other than wine you guys seem to have some other fun little gadgets for the wine lover. Can you talk a little bit about some of that fun stuff?

TWM: Well, I would say one of the gadgets we’ve done very well with and would really recommend is the Vinturi Aerator. That has been receiving a lot of national recognition and we brought it in last fall and were sold out by the beginning of December. It’s something we really believe in.

We also are big proponents of the Screwpull brand of corkscrews. They make a Lever model that costs about $100, which seems like a lot to people, but it does have a 10 year guarantee. If anything goes wrong with the corkscrew you send it back to the factory and they’ll either fix it or replace it. With some of the less expensive brands you don’t get that, and it’s not going to last.

UC: For a person looking to explore wine and learn about it a bit more how can the Wine merchant help?

TWM: The tasting bar is great. Our Friday Night tastings are great because they have a theme to them focused on a region, like Italy, or a varietal like Syrah. The Friday Night tastings are not too formal and they’re go-at-your-own pace. We have information so people can learn as much or as little as they want. If they just want to come and have some wine then that’s great, too! Tasting wine is really the best way to learn about wine and what you like. If you come in with a question there will always be someone in the shop to help. We strive to have a very relaxed atmosphere so people aren’t intimidated to ask questions.

UC: Are you watching any certain regions around the world that seem to be hot right now?

TWM: Spain has been big for 8 years or so because they have been producing a broad variety of good value wines. They certainly make good $50 wines, too, but in comparison to some of the other European regions they’ve done a better job of producing a lot more value oriented things. Some of the varietals they produce are very interesting like Grenache or Mourvedre, for the Reds.

————————–
The Wine Merchant

Oakley
3927 Edwards Road
513-731-1515

Hours
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

UC: What should people think about when pulling together a wine selection for Thanksgiving?

TWM: There are a lot of flavors and a lot of different side dishes going on for Thanksgiving, so it is a challenge. In the end, though, you have to drink what you like. You can’t just say Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice if you hate Sauvignon Blanc.  It’s usually a family occasion so if Mom likes oaky Chardonnay then Mom should have her oaky Chardonnay!

UC:  What are some tips for Reds?

TWM:  If you’re having traditional turkey, then for Reds lighter, fruitier styles seem to work well. Pinot Noir is a great choice. If you want something with a little more body and complexity then Grenache and Syrah are great varietals to go with. If you like fruitier then Zinfandel is a great choice as it compliments cranberry, fruit and nut flavors in the meal. It’s great for people that want a heavier, fuller body wine.

UC:  What about Whites?

TWM:  For whites, crisp whites with a lot of acidity are good because they cut through all the heavy fats on Thanksgiving! The gravy, the creamy side dishes…lighter, high acidity wines are a nice compliment so that you’re not putting something heavy on top of something heavy.

UC: Could you give me a few high acidity wines that would be perfect?

TWM: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris from Oregon or France, Pinot Blanc.  Gewürztraminer is great because it has a subtle spiciness in the scent and on the palate. It goes great with some of the fall flavors like yam or pumpkin, or other spicy flavors of Thanksgiving. It will really compliment cinnamon and nutmeg well.

UC:  How many different types of wine should someone have on the Thanksgiving table?

TWM: It really just depends on your family.  Some families are very much into wine while other families are more about beer and football and they’ll only have wine when they sit down to the table.

UC:  Can someone get some help on Thanksgiving wines just by stopping into The Wine Merchant?

TWM: We did a feature in our Newsletter suggesting wines for Thanksgiving, but the entire staff at The Wine Merchant has a lot of experience on what goes well with Thanksgiving. One of the simplest rules is to stay away from Cabernet and Merlot because they’re a bit heavy and more of a beef wine. And with whites you just want to stay away from oaky Chardonnays (unless Mom loves it!).

You can visit The Wine Merchant at 3972 Edwards Road in Oakley.  They are open Monday-Friday 10 AM-7 PM, Saturday 10 AM-6 PM, and Sunday 1PM-5PM.