Vineyard Beginnings

We did it. We finally initiated the vineyard.

Our grapevines were sent two weeks ago by Double A Vineyards, a supplier of some of the most quality grapevines in Ohio. We decided on three white and three red varieties that we knew would grow in well in Ohio, considering the weather and the land. 

The white grapes are Vidal Blanc, Traminette, and Niagara. 
The red grapes are Marechal Foch, Marquette, and Chancellor.
(More on those grapes later)

The grapevines are in the ground and I am so very excited to share the progress with you! Here is a lovely recap of the start of the journey: 

MEASURING/PLOTTING

Ross had been up a week prior to measure the land and plot where the vines would go. 







DIGGING

Day one was all about digging holes. We were so thankful for the Auger which saved us a lot of time (and achy muscles)!

A celebratory glass of Riesling after day one!






Day two was all about planting.

SEPARATING THE VINES

We had twenty of each grape variety.

PLANTING THE VINES

This was the messy part. Thank goodness it was a beautiful day. We planted 120 vines in about five hours. 

Happy to have extra topsoil.

Now we have a field full of 120 vines that will eventually attach to the bamboo poles we set in the ground. It will take a couple years for the grapevines to establish and produce fruit. 

German Riesling

Ah Germany... a country known for producing some of the most incredible Rieslings in the world. 

Take a look at the four most significant regions:

...and a little bit about the wine from each:

• where many of the FINEST Rieslings in the world are produced
• more mineral (wet stone) flavors with lemon, lime, citrus, apple, and apricot
• crisp wines with great acidity
• steepest vineyards in Germany with vines facing the south
• along the Mosel river (where Rieslings were said to have originated)
• less sunlight than other regions
• slate in the soil (creates the mineral flavor in the wine)
• traditionally green bottles

• more exotic fruit flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, honey, and ginger
• lush and tangy flavors with less acidity
• flatter land surrounded by mountains
• limestone and sand in the soil
• the most inventive and creative region

• riper rounder fruit flavors of peach, pear, citrus, honey, and some earth
• extremely rich and elegant
• serene region on a continuous slope
• known for their famous village Johannisberg  

• earthier flavors and juicy fruit flavors of peach, apple, and melon
• smallest production of riesling
• flat fertile farmland
• red sandstone and slate in soil
• very plain compared to other German regions

In Germany the quality of the wine relates to the ripeness of the grape. Here is how they classify their Rieslings in order of less ripe (dryer) to most ripe (sweeter) wines. These are usually printed on a German bottle of Riesling.

KABINETT * picked at normal harvest and usually dryer

SPATLESE * picked later, riper, and a bit sweeter (off-dry)

AUSLESE * very ripe, much sweeter, and a touch of noble rot

BEERENAUSLESE * extremely ripe, selected and hand picked grapes with noble rot

TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE * extremely ripe, smaller quantities that are individually picked with noble rot, some of sweetest wine in world

EISWEIN * grapes are picked when frozen, the sweetest of all

Wine Review

WINE - Meiomi - Pinot Noir - 2012

SMOOTH * LUSH * JAMMY

aromas of: cherry, oak, spice

tastes of: dark cherry, strawberry, vanilla, oak, cinnamon

*  medium body, extremely well balanced, smooth finish!

price tag: $20

verdict:  4.5 / 5

paired:

It was mother + daughter night. This is mom's favorite. We decided it was a perfect patio red. So we sat on the patio and drank two bottles. It was perfect ... and so were the brownies.

makes me think of: a starry night

CRISP     DELICATE     AROMATIC

   

If I could pick a wine to portray the feeling of SPRING, it would be Riesling. With a delicate body and fresh, lively flavors, this wine is the one you want while the flowers are blooming!

Riesling is also a grape that can grow well here in Ohio... and we all know I love that.

aromas of: peach, honey, apple, citrus

(Riesling is one of the most aromatic wines)

flavors of: peach, apricot, apple, lime, honey, wet stone, flowers

• very sweet - dry
• body: light
• acidity: high - very high
• alcohol: low

Riesling is unlike any other grape variety because it can produce exquisite wine even when the grape is not fully ripe. Riesling grapes also have the ability to absorb a lot of taste and character directly from the land they are grown on. For this reason your glass of Riesling can taste very different depending on where it is from.

Most Riesling in the world comes from...

• GERMANY
• AUSTRALIA
• USA (California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Ohio…)
• FRANCE (Alsace)
• AUSTRIA

The Riesling grape is better suited to cooler regions, but it can thrive in sunnier and warmer regions. Here is a bit of what to expect from both cool and warm areas.

COOLER CLIMATE

• lighter body
• higher acidity
• crisp
• sharper and shorter finish
• tastes of apple, peach, lime, citrus, and mineral
• very elegant and precise flavors

• very sweet - dry
• lighter body 
• high crisp acidity
• tastes of citrus, apricot, apple, wet stone
• some of the best Rieslings in the world

TRY: Dr. Loosen Dr. L Estate QbA 2012

• semi-sweet - dry
• light - medium body 
• medium - high acidity
• more dynamic tastes of citrus, apple, peach, mineral
• less delicate than German Riesling

TRY: Trimbach Riesling 2011

• sweet - dry
• medium body 
• medium - high acidity
• strong tastes of citrus, peach, apricot, floral
• more potent than German Riesling

TRY: Domane Wachau Riesling 2012

• almost always dry
• light body 
• medium - high acidity
• tastes of lemon, lime, apple, peach
• most popular around the Finger Lakes area

TRY: Red Tail Ridge Dry Riesling 2012

• sweet - dry
• light - medium body 
• medium - high acidity
• rich tastes of citrus, apricot, peach
• wonderfully balanced

TRY: Chaeau Ste. Michelle Sweet Harvest Riesling

• sweet - off dry
• light body 
• medium - high acidity
• bright tastes of citrus, apricot, peach, honey
• delicate

TRY: Debonne Vineyards Riesling Reserve

WARMER CLIMATE

• fuller body
• lower acidity
• juicy
• longer smoother finish
• tastes of exotic fruit (peach, mango, melon), honey and flowers

• off-dry - dry
• light - medium body 
• medium - high acidity
• tastes of tropical fruit, flowers, mineral
• powerful and complex

TRY: Howard Park Riesling 2013

• off dry - very sweet
• light - medium body 
• medium - high acidity
• bright tastes of citrus, apple, apricot, peach, honey
• often used in late harvest dessert wines

TRY: Firestone Riesling 2012

There are so many others to find and enjoy... this just gives you a head start!

Wine Review + A Wonderful Wine App!

WINE - Charles Shaw - Pinot Grigio - 2012

SOFT * FRESH * LIVELY

aromas of: lemon, peach, pear

tastes of: lemon, pear, apricot, honey

*  medium body, smooth acidity, sweeter than my usual pinot grigio!

price tag: $4

verdict: 3.5 / 5

It was a Netflix and cheap bottle of wine night for this girl. Luckily this cheap bottle never lets me down! Thank you Trader Joe's. This is pretty tasty for the low price you pay for it.

makes me think of: cheesy romantic comedies

Also wanted to share this video review on Charles Shaw Pinot Grigio. It made me happy.

Now it is time to talk about an app on my iPhone that has changed my life...well, at least made my wine shopping a LOT easier!

Although walking through aisles and aisles of wine at a store brings me much happiness, trying to find a single bottle of wine can sometimes be daunting. Fortunately, I have found the greatest app for making my wine shopping adventures a little more timely, and I almost always leave with a bottle I feel good about!

Vivino is an app that is perfect for the average wine drinker.

It allows you to scan pictures of wine labels (yes, just hold your phone up to the label and snap a picture). In seconds it will give you an average rating for that wine from other consumers, a description of the wine, the grapes used in the wine, other vintage ratings, what foods to pair it with, and where else you can buy the same bottle.

The app also allows you to rate the wine you drink and store your favorites so you can remember what you like!

I have scanned and rated over 30 wines and it has been a great place to keep all my wine finds.

Check it out here and then find the app on your smartphone!