November 2008

Kinkead Ridge written up in the Wall Street Journal Wine Column!
Nov. 28, the Ohio River Valley the first entry (that is a photo of our Syrah, and Harmony Hill's logo), featured along with Walla Walla, Napa, Rutherford, and the Finger Lakes!

Winery opening Saturdays Nov. 29 (Annual Barrel Tasting), Dec. 6 and Dec. 13. These are the last chances to visit the winery until Memorial Day Weekend 2009.

Kinkead Ridge red Revelation wins top prize in red wine category, the first Ohio/Michigan Wine Clash!   Click here!

"This event was created as the first consumer-sponsored wine competition to feature only locally grown and produced wines from Ohio and Michigan. Demand for locally-sourced food has grown across all market segments, but wine has not followed this trend due to misperceptions about quality and cost. By linking the competition with the storied football rivalry, this competition highlights the wines of both states in a unique fashion and helps drive consumer demand.

Separate judging events were conducted in Ann Arbor and Columbus with all wines being tasted blind. Judges were a mixture of wine retailers, restaurant proprietors, accredited wine professionals, wine enthusiasts and writers."

In the category of all other dry red wines, most commonly associated with the Meritage style of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, the winner was 2006 Kinkead Ridge Revelation.

Over 60 wines were tasted. Of the five top category winners, three were from Michigan and two were from Ohio.

“I would consider any of these winning wines to be on a par in quality to their peers from California and elsewhere,” said organizer Andrew Hall, “and at very consumer-friendly prices.”

From the Cincinnati wine blog, www.wine-girl.net: "Both Ohio and Michigan share a centuries-old tradition of viticulture which was wrecked by Prohibition but has re-emerged in recent times. From the Ohio River Valley to the upper shores of Lake Michigan, growers and winemakers are working hard to create unique and quality wines. In light of the growing concerns about the carbon footprint of transported products, this event was created to showcase these local efforts and in the context of one of our storied local rivalry.

Slow Food Columbus sponsored this event as part of a ‘Drink Local’ campaign. The winning wines will be poured at Alana's in Columbus on November 20.

Gaiter/Brecher Wall Street Journal recommend Cabernet Sauvignon for your Thanksgiving dinner: Why? "1) It's an American holiday and the wine should be American. 2) We prefer red with the meal because it stands up to such an imposing menu and it's appropriate to the season. 3) Good Cabernet Sauvignon has the structure, stature and bearing to belong at the Thanksgiving table. It's not for nothing that America's best, most-famous and most-expensive wines continue to be made from Cabernet. 4) An older Cabernet, with tastes have melded and tannins that have softened, is great with both white and dark turkey meat and pairs well with the other dishes without overwhelming them... We relaize that most Americans don't have any older Cabernet in the house, but we would still recommend Cabernet for Thanksgiving. It is the world's most majestic red grape, after all, and this is the time to showcase it... Good American Cabernet tastes like America to us and gives us something special in our glass..."

Ron and I recommend  either our 2006 Kinkead Ridge Red Revelation Bordeaux blend (68% cabernet sauvignon, 18% cabernet franc, 14% petit verdot), ($14.99) or in a lighter style, the 2006 River Village Cellars Cabernet Franc ($12.99). Available throughout Ohio at fine wine stores, contact us to request the list.

Three events this month:

November 14: Wine tasting at The Emporium, Yellow Springs.

November 6: A wine dinner at Spagio Cellars with the Pearl Valley Cheese Company (www.pearlvalleycheese.com). Here's Sam before the guests arrive. Seven Kinkead Ridge wines were poured, including white wine that has long been sold out at the winery: 2005 River Village Cellars Traminette (for those of you who like this wine, more is coming Memorial Day weekend); 2006 River Village Cellars White Wine, 2007 Kinkead Ridge Revelation; 2006 River Village Cabernet Franc; 2006 River Village Syrah, 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc, 2006 Kinkead Ridge Revelation.

The Hocking College Sixth Annual "Taste in the Valley" wine auction and dinner celebration was Friday, November 7. This event benefits the Hocking College Foundation providing students with financial aid. This year's ice sculpture by David Boyd was a wine rack! 6 bottles of Kinkead Ridge 2006 Revelation sold for $300. A case of the small production, no longer available 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon was sold at this auction for $500, and a mixed case autographed by the winegrower sold for $375.

November 1: Harvest is over! We picked the last 2780 pounds of grapes today, Petit Verdot. The reds came in at 25 Brix plus. The quality of the white grapes is outstanding. Should be a great vintage.

We picked

Here's some of the crew in our "Kinkead Ridge Vineyard Harvest Crew" t-shirts!

On the verge of picking Roussanne, I came across a great article about this Rhone variety by Patrick Comiskey: "...the single white Rhone variety that has winemakers losing sleep, the one that lures them with its promise and its complexity, just as surely as Ulysses was lured to the rock by the Sirens, is Roussanne... the vine is designed to give winemakers a lifetime of mystery... " Click here to read the article.

The winery is now closed for harvest. Next opening dates will be November 22, November 29 (Annual Barrel Tasting) and December 6 and 13, then closed until Memorial Day 2009.

2006 Releases, all medal winners at the American Wine Society International Competition
$14.95	$12.95	$11.95

Another vintage review:

"We were at a party at a friend's house and we had given a bottle of the 2004 Cabernet Franc to them two years ago. We found out their were not wine drinkers and they still had the bottle. Of course I talked them into opening the bottle. It was superbly smooth and fantastic to the taste and all the other guests that sampled said that this was the best wine they had ever tasted! They asked me where they can get some and I told them that it is all sold out and the only places would be an auction or E-Bay. Looking forward to the 2007 reds."

Those of you lucky enough to have our older wines in your cellar might appreciate this August 2008 review of the 2004 white Revelation:

From Jim Stutzman, Virginia:
"I was dazzled the other day. A bottle of your 2004 Revelation had wandered off to the wine cellar netherlands. When I found it, I chilled it down a bit for lunch, and when I tried it - WOW! - Very impressive."
 

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

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, click here.

We are often asked about food and wine pairings. This is a great site to browse, Natalie MacLean's Food Matcher.

"Why  go for those long distance relationships when you can find love in your own back yard." 

 

   Words on Wine: 
 

Famous quotes throughout history about wine. Click here.

You are riding on a beautiful white horse.
On your left side is a drop off.
On your right side are several ostriches being chased by a lion.
In front of you are four large gazelles that won't get out of your way
and you can't seem to overtake them.
Behind you is a stampede of horses.
What must you do to get out of this highly dangerous situation?

* Get your drunk ass off the merry-go-round. *

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