North Market Ohio Wine Fest

Last weekend we had some Ohio Wine fun. 

North Market hosted their annual Ohio Wine Festival Downtown.

It was a glorious occasion. 

It was especially glorious to sample some of the varieties we are growing. ... or could grow. Red wines can be hit or miss, but Ohio does a FANTASTIC job with white wines. 

Some of our favorite tents (wineries) were:

SOINE VINEYARDS - Powell 

try: Traminette and Seyvel Blanc

go: http://www.soinevineyards.com/Home.html

FERRANTE VINEYARDS - Geneva 

try: Riesling and Pinot Grigio

go: http://www.ferrantewinery.com/

HENKE WINERY - Cincinnati 

try: Vidal Blanc and Seyvel Blanc

go: http://www.henkewine.com/

TROUTMAN VINEYARDS - Wooster 

try: Vidal Blanc and Seyvel Blanc

                         go: http://www.troutmanvineyards.com/

There were around 20 Ohio Wineries but those were our tops for the day.

It was $25 for a tasting glass, 10 tasting tickets (we blew through those) and a $5 voucher for food at the market. We sampled a bunch of wines, learned about how to cook lamb at a demonstration (things are way more fascinating when you are drinking), ate Greek food, and had a good time. 

THE ONLY NEGATIVE:
Around 4pm everyone in Columbus came stampeding into the festival and it was CROWDED. I was happy to see so many wine lovers ... but movement was limited. Next year we'll go early. 

conclusion: Overall, a great Ohio Wine experience. 

See you next year!

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!

Local Tastings

Yesterday was the first day of SPRING! A very exciting word for those of us who have been drowning in snow and freezing temperatures this past winter. Yes, I have been waiting very patiently for this day...and, of course, it was also painfully cold.

Oh well. 

There was still a cause for celebration and a spring themed wine tasting seemed like the perfect treat.

My husband and I ventured over to Worthington to check out a little modern wine shop called House Wine. They have a small bar and do tastings every Thursday that are themed. This week the theme was ‘Spring Wines’. We tried 5 different wines for $15 a person.

WINE #1 - DOMAINE LABBE ABYMES VIN DE SAVOIE

FRANCE - Savoi

grapes: 100% Jacquere

SPARKLING * CRISP * FRESH

aromas of: lemon, lime, spice

tastes of: lemon, citrus, mineral

* light body, crisp acidity, short bright finish!

price tag: $14

WINE #2 - FIRE ROAD

grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

NEW ZEALAND - Marlborough

GREEN * ZESTY * COMPLEX

aromas of: citrus, pineapple, grapefruit

tastes of: tropical fruit, grapefruit, grass

*well balanced, high acidity, lingering finish!

price tag: $17

WINE #3 - CHARLES AND CHARLES ROSE

USA - Washington (Columbia Valley)

grapes: 80% Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache

LIVELY * FRUITY * REFRESHING

aromas of: citrus, strawberry, mineral

tastes of: citrus, berries, melon

* well balanced, clean acidity, slight effervescence!

price tag: $11

WINE #4 - TENUTA DELLE TERRE NERE ETNA ROSSO
ITALY - Sicily
grapes: Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio
SMOKEY * CHEWY * RIPE
aromas of: dark berries, herbs, tar
tastes of: strawberry, licorice, herbs, smoke
* medium body, heavy tannin, very complex!
price tag: $18

WINE #5 - SEAN MINOR
USA - California (Napa Valley)
grapes: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
SMOOTH * LONG * VIBRANT
aromas of: blackberry, black cherry, spice
tastes of: blackberry, plum, mocha, spice
* full body, touch of oak, long smooth finish!
price tag: $15

Definitely an enjoyable time. House Wine provided cheese for the tasting. There were also options for carryout and delivery to the shop. We had white pizza brought over that paired great with the wines we tried. Check out House Wine's website for upcoming tastings and events!

 

There are many other tasting events in the Columbus area. You ought to try them out as well...being that they are fun AND educational.

Here are a couple COLUMBUS WINE TASTINGS I have been to.

BEL LAGO

• Ten tastes for ten dollars! A glorious deal and beautiful location on Hoover Reservoir. Stay for dinner after. They showcase a great variety of whites and reds.

day: Thursday (every other)  

time: 5:30pm-8pm

cost: $10 a person

go: http://www.bellagorestaurant.com/about.htm

WINE ON HIGH

• 20 for 20! In other words, a bottle for yourself! Great location, and lots of fun. It’s a good idea walk somewhere and have dinner after.

day: Thursday (every third Thursday of the month)
time: 6pm-9pm

cost: $20 a person (no splitting...we tried that)

go: http://www.wineonhigh.com/