SIMPLE     BRIGHT     CLEAN

+

ELEGANT     BRIGHT     SOFT

Summer is here and the Pinot Grigio is out! This is the easy drinking sunshiny wine that pairs great with any type of seafood or light dish because of its simplicity. It has no extreme characteristics which make it such a popular crisp summer wine.

OH...AND it grows in Ohio too!

aromas of: apple, lemon, honey, mineral

flavors of: lemon, lime, apple, pear, melon, nut, honey

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

Pinot Grigio is a mutation of Pinot Noir (yes, the red grape) and it can range from blueish to dark yellow in color.

Most Pinot Grigio in the world comes from...

• ITALY
• FRANCE (Alsace)
• USA (California, Oregon, Ohio)

Pinot Grigio grows in Italy. Pinot Gris grows in France (they are the same grape). In the U.S. we use the names interchangeably. Depending on where the grape is grown the flavor and body can be slightly different.

- PINOT GRIGIO

• very dry
• lighter body
• higher crisp acidity
• neutral tastes of apple, lemon, lime
• usually less expensive ...definitely good to know

TRY: Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio 2012

 

- PINOT GRIS

• dry
• light-medium body
• balanced acidity
• softer tastes of apple, citrus, melon, honey and nut
• usually pricier

TRY: Joseph Cattin Pinot Gris 2011

 

- PINOT GRIGO/GRIS

• dry-sweet
• light-medium body
• lighter acidity
• more fruit forward with tastes of apple, citrus, and pear

TRY: A to Z Pinot Gris 2011

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/elkaypics/8070062231/">eLKayPics</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe57spike/5412453784/">byJoeLodge</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Festival Recap and Wine Review

Six tastes, three bottles, and a handful of glasses of wine later...

Sarah's Vineyard Summer Solstice Festival was a success! 

This was a different year for the festival. In previous years, over fifteen Ohio Wineries showed up to share their wine with the Cuyahoga Valley community. Since the winery is part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Parks and located on park property, they were not able to have other wineries sell other wine on their premises (a licensing issue that had been overlooked in previous years)...boo. So it was Sarah's Vineyard wine exclusively this year! We were a bit sad, but cheered up immediately after our first few tastes. Sarah's makes some great wine. ALSO, we were so happy to see such a huge and festive crowd there nonetheless! Everyone seemed to be having a merry good time. 

We explored some art vendors

We ate some incredible goat cheese and crackers from The Ornery Goat

We rested in the sunshine and enjoyed the live music...of the jazzy/blues variety





Such a great day! Thank you Sarah's for welcoming summer like this every year.
         

Now for the (other) bottle of wine I drank last week...

WINE - Bohemian Highway - Merlot - 2011

LIGHT * JUICY * VIBRANT

aromas of: cherry, cranberry, cinnamon

tastes of: cherry, raspberry, coffee, spice 

* lighter body, balanced tannin, easy drinking! 

price tag: $9

verdict:  3 / 5

paired:

This has been hanging around my wine collection for months. I feel like the label screams SUMMER and ADVENTURE. I opened it up last week for dinner. A very affordable and easy drinking summer red. I liked it better than I thought I would.

makes me think of: road trips/adventure

Summer Wine Festivals

Summer is upon us! ...and summer is the best season for wine lovers.

There are so many fun events popping up all over the place. Early tomorrow morning we are headed to one of my favorite Ohio wineries for their annual Summer Solstice Festival. 

Sarah's Vineyard is in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (in the Cleveland area). The festival is a great time and includes a lot of Ohio wine tasting, good food, local art, and live music. 

Last year we enjoyed some local music and had the most delicious peach chardonnay (I always claim not enjoying sweeter wines...but this stuff was incredible)


Here are some other great local wine events to check out this summer... 


NORTH MARKET OHIO WINE FESTIVAL - COLUMBUS

about: over 20 Ohio Wineries, market food, demonstrations, giveaways
dates: Friday, July 11 from 7pm-10pm 
           Saturday, July 12 from 12pm-9pm
           Sunday, July 13 from 12pm-5pm
cost: $25 includes a glass and 10 tasting tickets
go: http://www.northmarket.com/activities-events/wine-festival.aspx


TOAST OF OHIO WINE FESTIVAL - TOLEDO

about: Ohio Wines, gourmet food, live music, local art
dates: Saturday, July 26 from 12pm-8pm
cost: $10 includes a glass and 5 tasting tickets
go: http://www.merrygoroundmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/wine-festival-poster.pdf


VINTAGE OHIO WINE FESTIVAL - KIRTLAND

about: over 15 Ohio Wineries, food, live entertainment, demonstrations, exhibits
dates: Friday, August 1 from 1pm-10pm
           Saturday, August 2 from 1pm-10pm
cost: $35 includes wine tastings
go: http://www.visitvintageohio.com/



SIGNATURE WINES' SANGRIA FESTIVAL - COLUMBUS

about: Delicious Sangria, Latin Food, Latin Music
dates: Saturday, August 16 from 6pm-9pm
cost: $15 includes signature glass and a drink ticket
go: http://www.signaturewinesofohio.com/


...see you there!

Wine Review

WINE - Clean Slate - Riesling - 2012

SIMPLE * ELEGANT * CRISP

aromas of: lemon, lime, melon

tastes of: lemon, lime, apple, pear, mineral 

* light body, very bright acidity, semi-sweet!

price tag: $12

verdict: 4 / 5

Since it was beautiful outside and I have a new appreciation for this wonderful grape, I sat on the deck and read a book. This is a good wine for multiple glasses while reading!

makes me think of: a bed of yellow flowers by the side of a creek