Kinkead Ridge and Harmony
Hill featured on the nationally-syndicated PBS TV show, America's
Heartland, Series 3, episode 311.
Click here.
Kinkead Ridge
featured in January Cincinnati Magazine, the Wine Issue.
Photos by John Johnston,
www.johnstonphotos.org
"Kinkead Ridge
Winery is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the finest
estate-bottlers this side of the Mississippi, winning a rare
double-gold medal in the 2006 American Wine Society Competition for
their 2004 cabernet franc. In 1998, after 10 years of growing pinot
noir at the Chehalem Valley Vineyards in Yamhill, Oregon,
60-year-old Ron Barrett, along with his partner Nancy Bentley,
relocated to Ohio to start their own vineyard. Regional soil maps,
Barrett says, revealed this land's ideal composition: 30 inches of
neutral to slightly base soil, underlain by hundreds of feet of
broken limestone. "World class grape soil," he says. Spend some time
on this 126-acre farm with its immaculate vinifera grape vines --
cabernets, viogniers, and rieslings, petit verdot and syrah,
roussanne and sauvignon blancs -- and you gain an almost romantic
appreciation of the viticulture lifestyle. Which is a mistake. "I
would never call it romantic," Bentley says. "You never see all of
the problems that occur, all of the weather disasters around the
corner." And the work: Each of these 5,000 vines is hand-pruned from
30 shoots down to two or three. And then there's the
around-the-clock "punchdowns" to stir the wines, and the hand
bottling, corking, and labeling. Still, among the purveyors of his
wine, Ron Barrett is a rock star. As someone who can just as easily
discuss the prehistory of southern Ohio as the merits of pairing a
premium Viognier-Roussanne blend with goat cheese, people seek his
knowledge and company. A recent case of his wine sold for twice its
value after he autographed the box. "I call it 'the gene, " Bentley
says. "People call and say they want to start a vineyard", and I say
"We'll have to see if you have the gene." For people like Ron, it's
in their blood. They have to do it. But it's an extreme amount of
work." --Brent Donaldson
Kinkead Ridge Fifth
Anniversary Celebration!
Click any picture to enlarge it.
A review of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (sold out at the winery) was
posted on 12/24/07 on Mark Squires Bulletin Board, on
erobertparker.com. For those of you who still have it in your
cellars, you may find this interesting.
Greg, NYC: 2004 Kinkead
Ridge
Cab Sauv, Ohio River – "What to say about
this wine that Loren brought. I was simply floored. If you are not going
to expect much in the way of wine from a state, that state has to be Ohio.
Or so I thought.
Not true.
The wine was stunning, partly because my expectations were so low and even
more because it was so damn good. That was a real cab. The nose
demonstrated the expected varietal cassis and herbal qualities, the palate
had the tart black fruit, a touch of herbs, some tobacco, a bit of wood
that hasn't yet integrated fully – in short, just a wonderful young cab.
And seventeen bucks. I'm trying to think of a cab from California that
delivers at the same level for the price. Perhaps Beckmen? BV Rutherford?
I'd like to try this blind with some of those. This was just a wonderful
surprise from Ohio."
Annual Barrel Tasting and
Release of 2005 Petit Verdot! Petit Verdot, a wine so prized by French
vintners that they normally save it for their family. Click any picture
to enlarge it.
Kinkead
Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc rated one of the Top 100
Exciting Wine Finds, international list compiled by Tom
Stevenson, British editor of the New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia and
publisher of the paperback Wine Report 2008. "Succulent, intensely
flavored fruit, ripe, supple tannins, and a truckload of flavors--from
cherries, cassis, chocolate, and cream, to vanilla and coconut."--Sandra
Silfven, Atlantic Northeast editor of the 2008 Wine Report "This shows
what promise there is in Ohio." --Tom Stevenson
Kinkead Ridge Winery accomplishments, 2002-2007
2003 Viognier/Roussanne named one of the Top 100
Exciting Wines in the World, Tom Stevenson, British editor of the
New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia
●2004 Cabernet Franc named one of the Top 100
Exciting Wines in the World, Tom Stevenson, British editor of the
New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia. Only 12 American wineries made the
list
●2004 Cabernet Franc, Double Gold Medal, American
Wine Society competition. 1000+ international entries, only 2 Double
Gold Medals
●2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold Medal Finger Lakes
Wine competition. The only vinifera wine from Ohio to win a gold
medal. Only 15 were awarded internationally for Cabernet
●Featured on nationally-syndicated PBS TV program,
America's Heartland
●Featured on Ohio-syndicated PBS TV program, Our
Ohio
●Kinkead Ridge video “The Romance of the Vineyard”
one of five finalists in the Wine Spectator video contest
●Kinkead Ridge featured on the cover of Ohio
magazine
●Kinkead Ridge featured on the cover of Our Ohio
magazine (farm bureau)
●Kinkead Ridge listed in Kevin Zraly's American Wine
Guide (former sommelier of Windows on the World, World Trade Center)
Kinkead
Ridge mentored the
winegrowers of Harmony Hill, Meranda and LaVigna
●Kinkead Ridge wines featured on the Dish TV show,
with Chef Jean Robert de Cavel
●Kinkead Ridge featured in Ladies Home Journal and
Country Living (courtesy of the Farm Bureau)
●Kinkead Ridge 2006 Viognier/Roussanne rated one of
the top 2007 favorite wines, the WineBuzz magazine
●Kinkead Ridge featured in Ohio Wine Country
Excursions
●Kinkead Ridge featured in From Garden Gate to
Dinner Plate, Food and Farms of Ohio
●Kinkead Ridge featured in national magazine, Wines
and Vines
●Kinkead Ridge wines reviewed by Mark Fisher, Dayton Wine Blog
●Kinkead Ridge wines reviewed by Jon Christenson, Columbus
Dispatch
●Kinkead Ridge 2005 Cabernet Franc featured
currently at Pigalls and JeanRo Bistro
●Kinkead Ridge wines featured by Chef Julie Frances,
Nectar
●Ohio wine dinners, Kinkead Ridge featured at
Rhapsody, Sturkeys, Daveeds, Bexleys Monk, Lindeys German Village,
Iron Horse Inn
●Kinkead Ridge wines reviewed by Lenn Thompson, New
York wine writer
●Kinkead Ridge wines reviewed by Sandra Silfven,
Detroit Daily News
●Kinkead Ridge newspaper articles, too numerous to
mention
●Kinkead Ridge wine poured at the Smithsonian
Institute, Washington D.C. and by Senator Voinovich
●Kinkead Ridge the only non-distributor winery to
pour at Gourmet Sensation
●Kinkead Ridge invited to pour at Fleur de Fetes,
Dayton
●1 of 4 wineries
(and the only Ohio winery) featured
in the January Cincinnati Magazine
2004 Kinkead Ridge Cabenet Franc, #7 on the Top 10 List of Greatest
Quality Wines from the Atlantic Northeast
This wine was sold out at
the winery last December. This book is a year behind sales. Don't miss
the 2005 reds.
Kinkead Ridge 2006 Viognier/Roussanne
awarded GOLD medal at the International American
Wine Society competition, October 2007.
Kinkead Ridge 2006
Viognier/Roussanne just rated "Notable Wines of 2007"
in the November/December Wine Buzz. "The Ohio River Valley used to be
the largest producer of wine in the United States. All kinds of things
converged to bring about its downfall, and until just a few years ago
very little was happening on this stretch of the river. Kinkead Ridge,
owned by transplanted Oregonians, started a revival that shows real
promise. The Rhone-style white blend has all the rich, ripe honeyed
notes you'd expect, with an undercurrent of minerals and a crisp, dry
finish.
Twas the night before Christmas, overlooking the vineyard
Ronald and Nancy turned their thoughts inward
The vineyard was planted eight years ago
The wines show the promise they dreamed would be so
Kinkead Ridge was
featured at the Gala Auction for the benefit of Hocking College. A good
time was had by all!
Beautiful Cabernet
Franc harvest photos now available on line. These were taken by
professional photojournalist John Johnstone. See
http://www.johnstonphotos.org,
click on Index and then
Wine Harvest. Here
are a few of John's photos... from harvest sunrise to hauling, to
weighing, to the end-of-day happy crew shot! Click any photo to enlarge
it.
Unfortunately, due to the
Direct Shipping legislation passed in Ohio, we will no longer ship
direct to consumers. The law states a consumer may only receive 24 cases
of wine per year. The state is collecting data from wineries and
shipping companies with regard to who received wine. We would have no
way of knowing if we shipped the 25th case illegally.
Click here to read what the press says about
this legislation. For alternatives to shipping, please
call us.
A charming surprise! Tonight
a hot air balloon flew right over the vineyard! They dropped down as I
waved to holler: "What road is this!"
Harvest is over. Sadly,
due to the frost around Easter, there is very little Viognier, Roussanne,
Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah this year. Scoop up the 2006 white vintages
and the 2005 Syrah now!
Kinkead
Ridge is featured in a lovely new book called Farms & Foods of Ohio:
From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate by Marilou K. Suzsko. My recipes for
Pork Tenderloin with Shallots, Grapes, Walnuts, and Rosemary, and
Sauteed Mushroom Medley with Feta on Croutons are in the book. Click here to read the feature.The other wineries in the book are Firelands, Markko, Ravenshurst
and the Winery at Wolf Creek. The book is available at
www.amazon.com.
We're excited
about our fellow winegrower's first harvest. Check out LaVigna's
first harvest at
http://www.lavignawines.com/htm/2007harvest.htm. LaVigna is growing
Petit Manseng and Cabernet Franc
Every year, we
try to protect the vintage from raccoons, possums, wild turkeys,
migratory robins, deer, rabbits, skunks, coyotes, grape berry moth,
Japanese beetles and more, I found this "Animal Delinquents" story very
amusing! What vineyards around the world face trying to protect their
crops: Click here.
KVIE
Public Television, Sacramento, filmed the vineyard and winery for a
nationally syndicated broadcast show called "Americas Heartland".
Details will follow when we know the dates the show will be aired.
We are often asked about
food and wine pairings. This is a great site to browse, Natalie
MacLean's Food Matcher.
Kinkead
Ridge is listed in the short "well-known wineries" section in the Ohio
section of Kevin Zraly's 2008 Wines of America.
Higher alcohol wines should stop! We agree. Read this fabulous
article by Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards! Click
here. “It is time for the average wine
consumer, as opposed to tasters, to speak up. The current fad of
higher and higher alcohol wines should stop.”
So begins Randy Dunn, weighing in against the current trend of high
alcohol wines. He joins a growingly concerned chorus of respected
industry and trade voices lamenting the demise of diversity in the
wines of America's most celebrated appellations.
Food
and wine pairing:
Kinkead Ridge wine and recipes will be featured in the upcoming
"Ohio Food and Farms: From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate" by
Marilou Suzsko. Marilou is a regular contributor to the Cleveland
Plain Dealer Food Section, the Sunday Magazine and Feast.
"Why go for those long distance relationships when you can find
love in your own back yard."
Brillat
Savarin noted two features which distinguish man from beast:
1. Fear of the future.
2. Desire for fermented liquors.
Words on Wine:
Last
night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to
her,
"I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine
and fluids
from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."
She got up, unplugged the TV, and threw out my wine.
She's such a bitch.
Famous quotes throughout history about wine. Click
here.
Funny
drinking quotes:
"Sometimes
when I reflect back on all the wine I drink
I feel shame. Then
I look into the glass and think
about the workers in the vineyards and all
of their hopes
and dreams If I didn't drink this wine, they
might be out
of work and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say
to myself, "It is better that I drink
this wine and let their
dreams come true than be selfish and worry
about my liver."
~ Jack Handy
Kinkead Ridge
What's New
Kinkead
Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc rated one of the Top 100
Exciting Wine Finds, international list compiled by Tom
Stevenson, British editor of the New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia and
publisher of the paperback Wine Report 2008. "Succulent, intensely
flavored fruit, ripe, supple tannins, and a truckload of flavors--from
cherries, cassis, chocolate, and cream, to vanilla and coconut."--Sandra
Silfven, Atlantic Northeast editor of the 2008 Wine Report "This shows
what promise there is in Ohio." --Tom Stevenson
Kinkead
Ridge is featured in a lovely new book called Farms & Foods of Ohio:
From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate by Marilou K. Suzsko. My recipes for
Pork Tenderloin with Shallots, Grapes, Walnuts, and Rosemary, and
Sauteed Mushroom Medley with Feta on Croutons are in the book.
"Why go for those long distance relationships when you can find
love in your own back yard."