2010 Releases

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Releasing Labor Day Weekend
Sept. 4 and 6

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol 15.0%

2008 Cabernet Franc

Releasing Labor Day Weekend
Sept. 4 and 6

100% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol 15.0%

From http://cabernetfranc.blog-cool.net/

2008 Syrah

Releasing Labor Day Weekend
Sept. 4 and 6

100% Syrah
Alcohol 15.2%

2008 Petit Verdot

Releasing Labor Day Weekend
Sept. 4 and 6
 

100% Petit Verdot
Alcohol 15.1%
 

2009 Viognier/Roussanne

Released Memorial Day Weekend
 May 29 and 31

79% Viognier / 21% Roussanne
Alcohol 14.2%

From: http://baldwinegeek.blogspot.com

Another white wine worthy of your attention, this time from the state of Ohio. This white blend from ohio river valley producer Kinkead Ridge is 79% viognier and 21% roussanne. Kinkead Ridge produces some excellent wines in both red and white varietals. This one sells for about $15 and can be difficult to find as this was a poor year for the Ohio wineries due to heavy rains during the October harvest. The nose is loaded with orange blossom notes, along with nice tropical fruit aromas too. The palate is more of the orange blossom, along with guava and i got a little honeysuckle in the finish as the wine opened up. nice finish that was crisp and acidic. Fish, chicken or shellfish are great pairings with this wine.

"I took some of your wine with me to Taos. Shared some with the chef/Owner of a place called Graham's Grille. We tasted it with Tablas Creek Blanc, and La Vieille Ferm Blanc. Never guess which one came out on top?!!! They were BLOWN away!!" WG, Columbus OH

Photo credit: Shane Gamble, taken at 2009 Gourmet Sensation






 

Guido Rivella, enologist for Gaja:

"You know with good grapes this job is a lot more interesting. You can make two kinds of wine: a good one or a poor one. With poor grapes, there's no suspense."

The manager of Chateau Latour, Lamothe, wrote in 1816: "When Nature fails to provide the ingredients of good wine, man cannot compensate for the deficiency. He will never achieve anything greater than mediocrity."

Guido:

"The wine makers job is a lot like the cook's. Of course, a cook can try things out every day, while we get a crack at it only once a year. And a cook doesn't have to wait years to judge the results, as we sometimes do... In the end, of course, even the greatest chef is no better than the quality of his raw materials. He can cover up defects with a heavy sauce, just as you can mask the shortcomings of a wine with a lot of new oak, or a little residual sugar, but that'll never be great cooking. Like the chef, the wine maker should exalt his ingredients, the characteristics of the grapes he gets in a given year from a given vineyard. My job is to get the best out of the grape."

2009 River Village Cellars White Wine

Released Memorial Day Weekend
 May 29 and 31

Alcohol 12.9%

A blend of everything we could salvage! Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling, Chardonnay and other miscellaneous whites. A tough vintage.

Regular visitors to this web site already are aware that we tend somewhat in our approach to stray from the local norm in growing and marketing wine. Some have alleged that we are crazy, but that's another story! From the start we have been wedded to the concept that any wine bearing the Kinkead Ridge label must never disappoint the buyer willing to pay a super to ultra-premium price for a wine. So the question becomes: What do we do with an excellent wine which is not in the ultra-premium category? Our solution is the European model of creating a second label, River Village Cellars, for these wines. Look to River Village for value-priced, everyday wines. (In 2001 through 2003 this label was known as Kinkead Cellars.)
 

There is no 2009 Riesling, white Revelation, or Traminette.
There is no 2008 red Revelation.

2009 Wine Releases - All 2007 red wine and 2008 white wine is sold out at the winery.
These wines may still be available throughout Ohio in some wine stores.

Released Labor Day Weekend 2009

Silver Medal, American Wine Society 2009 competition. Judged in October, only one month after release, and very young.

If we had named the winery "Glacier's End", I wouldn't get emails like this one!

From a William Kinkead descendant, Charles in Kentucky...

"A good friend of mine was recently in Ohio and brought me a bottle of your cabernet; it was superb! My Great Grandfather x4 was William Kinkead, and I wanted to enquire into the possibly of purchasing a case, and getting it shipped to KY. "
 

From AndrewSGHall

Ohio River Valley 2007 Cab Shootout : Kinkead Ridge 3:1 winner. Other two (Vigna, Meranda-Nixon) also good. 2007 gave ripeness.

From Dan McGrew, 11/28/2009

First reviews of 2008 reds from Dan McGrew, http://www.dogswine.blogspot.com

"The 2007 wines are big, full flavored, young and delicious.

This past September I purchased a mixed case of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the 2007 vintage, and it was good to taste those wines again to see how they were developing. I have yet to open any of mine. I was more than pleased with the progress the two wines showed in the bottle. Again, the Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite."

Review from Italy!

Emanuele Marro who is one of the owners of the Hotel L'Antico Pozzo, in San Gimignano...

"I must confess that I was not able to wait until the wine got
older: some friends of mine from Verona who work as professional
somellier came to visit and saw the bottle in my house. They were very
curious about it so I took the chance to share it with them. They gave
very positive response and I also found the wine very good and full
bodied. Forgive me for not waiting but I assure you it was very appreciated!"
 

Released Labor Day Weekend 2009

Kinkead Ridge 2007 Cabernet Franc rated top Ohio wine in the 2nd annual Ohio Michigan wine clash. It was the only Ohio wine in the top five, and the least expensive wine in the group... at $17.95, besting the other retail prices of $60.00, $45.00, $40.00 and $35.00. For details see http://www.ohiovsmichiganwineclash.com

From OhioWineGuy

"Cabernet Franc is my favorite varietal because it is food friendly and can be pleasantly imbibed by itself after a long day. When done well as it is by Seth Meranda of Meranda-Nixon Winery, Greg Pollmann, winemaker at Valley Vineyards, or Ron Barrett at Kinkead Ridge Winery all in the Ohio River Valley there is no comparison. We have the mineral soil, rain in the spring, warm summers, and the fruit generally can hang into October for maturity and the right touch of the winemakers to make it very approachable here. "

From Joel Goldberg, Michigan Wine Blogger:

"...you’ll be hard-pressed to keep your hands off this, with a berry nose that jumps from the glass and silky, fruit-driven palate that seduces your taste buds with a serious “yum” factor."

From H., Woodbury NJ

"Had the 2007 Cabernet Franc at Christmas. It was outstanding."

__________

Silver Medal, American Wine Society 2009 competition. Judged in October, only one month after release, and very young.

_________

From one of our wholesale customers: "We have had your cab franc on our flight menu for about a week now. I cannot begin to tell you the remarkable response we are getting. If I had the supply, I would have already sold more than 3 cases of it! The flight has your cab franc, another Ohio cab blend (made from California grapes) and a Napa Cabernet. Every single person who has tried the flight has picked yours as the favorite--most of them have asked to buy at least one bottle. Two people asked to buy a case.

You wouldn't believe how thrilled I am to have some that I can offer people on our flight menu! I am so grateful that you were able to bring those to me!"

From Wineaux Wine Blog, April 2010:

WINEAUX Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc Ohio River Valley 2007- This was given to us from our family in Ohio, aromas of cherry, raspberry and black currant, a blend of 84% Cabernet Franc and 16% Petit Verdot. This wine has nice balance with a hint of cola on the finish . Price Range-Under $20.00

From Dan McGrew, January 2010:

"I decided it was time to try one of the 2007 Kinkead Ridge reds and opted for the Cabernet Franc, primarily because that was the wine where my hand first came to rest...

Definitely a big nose on the wine and some dark fruit peeking out. When dinner was ready we swirled and tasted. The nose was still somewhat closed but rich, ripe fruit was foremost. The color was medium dark and youngish. There was also some oak in the nose. The wine tasted of dark cherries over the top of some more tart red cherries. There was a hint of tobacco in the nose, but I couldn't pick it up in the taste. The oak was there as well, coating the side of the tongue. This is a big, full flavored wine. There was good acid and a long finish that ended with some deep, dark fruit and a final bit of tannin. Good wine that is still a year or more away from being ready, but with a good hearty beef dish it's certainly an option right now.

The wine is 84% Cabernet Franc and 16% Petit Verdot, and I suspect the the PV was responsible for that dark tannic finish."

Gaiter/Brecher, Wall Street Journal on Petit Verdot

Why do producers select the particular varieties they blend to create a specific bottling?
There are many reasons, from adding complexity to simply including the varieties that are growing in the vineyard. Here's an example. In our recent tasting of "Costco Cabernets" -- widely distributed American Cabernet Sauvignons that we found at Costco and Sam's Club -- we found it interesting that three of our five favorites included some Petit Verdot. In fact, our favorite wine, a 2005 from Charles Krug, was fully 9% Petit Verdot (along with 6% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Merlot and 1% Carignan). Petit Verdot is one of the classic grapes of Bordeaux -- it adds color, tannins and maybe some spiciness to a blend -- but it was never much of a factor in the U.S. That is changing as more wineries seek to add depth to their wines. The number of acres planted to Petit Verdot in California has tripled since 2000, though it's still small (1,743 as of 2007). And it's not just California: We noticed that the most recent Assemblage blend from Paumanok Vineyards on New York's Long Island, the 2005, is 22% Petit Verdot.

Charles Krug didn't add Petit Verdot to its wines until 2001. Why now? We spoke to Peter Mondavi Jr., a co-proprietor of the winery. (His father, Peter Sr., is the brother of the late Robert Mondavi.) Mr. Mondavi told us that the use of Petit Verdot represented "a certain sea change in philosophy on our end," a move away from the feeling that wines needed to be 100% of a varietal. "We were in that purist camp and some other people around us began blending more, making proprietary blends. When we started our [Mondavi Family Reserve] Generations wines in 1991, we got some experience with blending and it opened our eyes up, what blending could do with these varietals. It makes more complex, more interesting wines. We blended with Cabernet Franc first and then added Petit Verdot in 2001 and a small amount of Malbec." The Petit Verdot, he said, is "a beautiful complement to Cabernet Sauvignon. It has added subtle complexities and nuances. It's not just taking Cab and making it darker, not just increasing those classic Cab tannins. It's taking on other complexities and supplementing them. It's adding more dimensions," he said, explaining that its tannins "tend to boost up the middle body of the Cabernet."

As more wineries grow a little Petit Verdot for blending, more are also making a small amount as a stand-alone varietal, often available only at the winery. A long time ago, we were so eager to find out what Petit Verdot tasted like as a varietal that John talked to wineries all over California before he finally found one that made a small amount of it: Guenoc. He ordered two bottles as a Christmas present for Dottie (well, yes, this is romantic in its own way), but the winery wouldn't ship it to us, so we had to have it trans-shipped by another company. We still remember the dark, spicy wine.

A few years ago, we bought a 1998 Petit Verdot when we visited Murphy-Goode Estate Winery in Geyserville and now seemed like a good time to open it up. Murphy-Goode first made Petit Verdot as a varietal in 1997 when there was enough left over from blending. "We have used the Petit Verdot in numerous wines over the years," winemaker David Ready told us. "The adds have ranged from 0.5% to 12%. The Petit Verdot adds a variety of qualities including color, depth and richness." Murphy-Goode now releases a varietal Petit Verdot in most vintages. It didn't make one in 2006 or 2008, but made 200 cases of 2007, which will be released in the next year or so.

 

""IMO, this is the best winery for red wines in Ohio. And, 2007 was the best vintage in these parts in a long time. Perhaps it truly will be a vintage of the century. I drank this bottle over two nights. $18 Ohio. Ruby in color with some opaque qualities to it. On the first night, it showed plenty of raspberries and some cassis. While these remained, on Day 2, a bit of green tobacco and an underlying earthiness came out. On the palate, this was medium bodied raspberry juice on Day 1, but it put on weight and showed much more complexity on Day 2. Layers of fruit and earth. I think a year or two in the cellar (or at least a couple of hours in a decanter), but this is a quality Cab Franc. It does not have any off green flavors. Want to impress someone with the quality of an Ohio red wine? This is it. And, the price is very reasonable for the quality."

2008 Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne
57% Viognier/43% Roussanne

Released Memorial Day Weekend 2009

August 23, 2009: Only about 80 cases left. We have decided not to enter this wine into the 2009 AWS competition because it will be sold out or close to when awards are announced in December. So we will never know if it would have gotten a Gold or Double Gold medal.

From Tom Day:
"Kinkead Ridge's 2008 Viognier/Roussanne jumped into my top five this year."

From Aaron Fetters on www.uncorkedcincinnati.com
"this is a white from one of my favorite Ohio River Valley wineries that we picked up last weekend, and wow do I love it! I know Ron and Nancy out at Kinkead Ridge are very excited about this wine and after tasting it I understand why. This wine is SO refreshing and flavorful all at the same time - it made a wonderful pairing with our cajun shrimp and pasta alfredo tonight! It's a 57% Viognier, 43% Roussanne blend and I detect a bit of honeysuckle on the nose in addition to the fruit forward aromas. In your mouth the wine has just a tinge of tingliness and I actually noticed a bit of spice, almost like ginger or something, again, in addition to the very flavorful fruit notes like orange and pear.

I've always been a big fan or Ron's red wines such as his 2006 Revelation Red and before that the 2005 Syrah, but this white may actually be my favorite wine he has produced. The wine runs $15.95 a bottle and is well worth that."

Mike Rosenberg on Viognier:

"Viognier is a notoriously tough grape to grow. One theory about the name of the grape is that because of low yields and susceptibility to mildew, "Viognier" is actually a modification of the Latin "via Gehennae" -- which means "road to hell." ... Viognier is most well known as a component in many of France's Rhone wines."

Rated 87 by the Wine Enthusiast. # Review: This fun, flirty Viognier/Roussanne blend starts with lively lemon and citrus aromas and leads into a joyful blend of curvy honey and plucky spice. Fruit and acidity are in good balance. A pretty wine with character. - S.K. (2009-11-12)
 

A Rhone blend of aristocratic varieties. The Viognier was hand-harvested on September 27 and the Roussanne on October 2. This complex and enticing wine has the kiwi and guava aromas of Roussanne merging with the orange blossom and golden raisin aromas of Viognier. An excellent, dry wine with fish, shellfish, and poultry. Serve slightly chilled. Alcohol 14.8% by volume. Production: 367 cases. $15.95

From David Schildknecht, who writes for
Robert Parker. He tasted this wine at a "Dinner Club" menu at Nectar, Cincinnati, featuring peaches.

"Then I noted Kinkead Ridge 2008 white and thought "hm ... peaches and Viognier ... and this wine has been good before." It was not only a terrific wine - one of many in my mind that demonstrate why Viognier is a bit too much on its own but can be great blended - but superb with our favorite course, the farro salad with grilled peach, Pecorino, and basil and pistachio pesto. (It was also nice with the salmon.) "

Photo Credit: Shane Gamble, taken at 2009 Gourmet Sensation

November 2009, from Dan McGrew:

"The wine could still use some time in the bottle, but there was more than enough to like about it now. Fresh and young, it tasted like a very good Rhone wine. The melon flavors were there along with some earthy spice, a little citrus and tart young grapes. It had the oily mouthfeel of a Condrieu. It was great with the turkey and with its notes of citrus peel it matched well with the oyster stuffing."

From Jeremy, Columbus

"For the fifth time in as many weeks, your 2008 Viognier/Roussanne has comprehensively kicked our wine loving tail ends. We have loved Elk Cove Pinot Blanc/Gris's for 15 years but this blend of yours makes us not worry about the Columbus distributors who can't seem to buy enough. We simply buy all we can find of your spectacular stuff. The only thing better than hoarding all we can find for ourselves is forcing it down someone's throat who think all Ohio wine has to be cloying. Thank you for all your hard work.......

Please understand that our crab cakes this evening were better because of Kinkead Ridge...."..
_____

Releasied Memorial Day Weekend 2009

GOLD: Best of Appellation, www.appellationamerica.com

2008 Revelation Ohio River Valley GOLD
Distinctive, subtle florals with earthy accents, perhaps indicating some hybrid wine in the blend. Lemongrass, red pear, watercress, pear, and banana aromas. Rich, clean full and intriguing. Outdoorsy odors of wild flowers, lush summer meadows and fertile soil after rain.

From: WineJoy blog

"Kinkead Ridge would rank at the top for me for Ohio wine producers. Located in the Ohio River Valley, their vinifera wines can stand their own against any wines at similar price points on the West Coast. Their 2008 whites were released Memorial Day weekend and I got to taste through them with Nancy of Kinkead Ridge a couple weeks ago.

You can't go wrong with any of the lineup, but I was a fan of the Revelation White Wine, a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon and 5% "experimental grapes," all estate grown. On the nose, there was orange citrus and light grass clippings. Very restrained so it will continue to open and evolve in the next couple months. On the palate, a creamier texture than expected, but backed with good acid. Orange peel and white peach skins with some zing of minerality. Beautiful wine for $13.99."

 

March 6, 2010. Review from Andrew Hall, wine blogger Columbus

2008 Revelation White. Predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, this was the clear winner in the 2008 white line-up. Crisp mineral and herbal nose with nice persistence. Good lines and cut. Nice intensity of the acidity and mineral. Nice integration which carries its 14%abv well. A revisit showed an elegant side to this wine. Very good, best white Revelation I’ve had. Wide open for business as well.

From Dan McGrew, wine blogger (http:://www.dogswine.blogspot.com)

"After a brief chill we pulled the cork on a Kinkead Ridge white Revelation from the 2008 vintage. The wine is mostly sauvignon blanc and semillion with a few other varieties blended in for good measure. It was tart and fresh with a great herbaceous feel to it. There was a little bit of apple and a small bit of pear in the wine and maybe just a touch of yellow fig, but the acid is was its greatest asset. The wine tasted like spring and that's what I was looking for. The wine retails for $14 and is 14% ABV. "

2008 Kinkead Ridge Riesling

Released Memorial Day Weekend 2009

DOUBLE GOLD: Best of Appellation, www.appellationamerica.com

2008 Riesling Ohio River Valley DOUBLE GOLD
Intense pear, pear, pear. Lilac, apple and wet stone petrichor (look it up). Off-dry with bracing acidity, suitable for shellfish or fatty sausages. Wonderfully mouthwatering, lean, long and palate cleansing with lingering flavors of cucumber and well water.

The 2008 Riesling was in the top 11 2nd annual Ohio Michigan wine clash, and was the least expensive wine on the list at $11.95.

From Eric Asimov, NY Times, The Pour blog about Riesling. "Kinkead Ridge, 40 miles east of Cincinnati, produces a crisp, easily drinkable Riesling, and has done so for several years. It’s not at the level of a good German Riesling, but there are hints and suggestions of those wines that makes the $12 or $13 price worth the search. Production is small but the dedication and quality is high. It’s wonderful to have a local wine in Ohio that is highly drinkable and delicious."

A post on Mark Squire's bulletin board, on www.erobertparker.com

From LS:

"2008 Kinkead Ridge Riesling (Ohio)
From one of the best wineries in Ohio. Green/silver in color, clear and bright. The nose has nice green apple notes. Medium bodied. Dry. On the palate, this is nice but on day 1, not too complex. I am told it was just delivered to my local store so there may be some bottle/travel shock. On day 2, it picked up the intensity a bit. Mostly fresh green apples with a hint of minerals. Nice finish. A nice wine, and at $12, a pretty good value. I look forward to trying the Roussanne which I have heard good things about. 50+3+12+16+7=88"

The Naked Vine Blog, all about Riesling:

http://www.thenakedvine.net/2009/08/riesling-redux.html

2008 Riesling Good nose with some verve and apple blossom notes. Nice citrus fruit notes here, but lacks the mineral verve and spine I want from Riesling. Like the V/R, ripeness of the ‘08 vintage doesn’t work for me in whites, but the alcohol is balanced here and I think is a little residual sugar which gives it body, not sweetness. (A lot of wines have this, but most don’t tell you.) I think a little time to relax from bottling will bring this to life.

Riesling Renaissance: America
From "Riesling Rules", www. RieslingRules.com

Click here

"Once again Riesling in on the rise among wine lovers. According to ACNielsen, Riesling is the #1 fastest growing varietal for the 52-week period ending December 15th, 2007... The variety's recent success has much to do with our evolving tastes in food and wine and our interest in food an wine pairing. Top American chefs and sommeliers have known for some time that Riesling is an extraordinary food companion, especially for "challenging" dishes... Riesling is a versatile food wine because its crisp acidity cuts through the richness of meats and sauces, while its fruit sweetness pairs well with spicy cuisine and lighter, more flavorful food styles... And relative to other great wines of the world, Riesling still represents an amazing value in terms of price for quality. This is a great time to be, or become, a lover of Riesling."
 

Released Memorial Day Weekend 2009

2009 Harvest Report

We ended up with about 35% of a full crop and will likely have no first-label wines. All the wines are clean and sound. The whites in particular are coming around and should be a good fit for our value-driven second-label River Village Cellars. As always with a tough vintage, it's too soon to tell for the reds. Confronted by the realities of the 2009 vintage, a professional wine spinner might be tempted to represent this vintage as a difficult one, but nonetheless with some "great wines produced". Unfortunately said spinner (typically a marketing person for a winery, or a spokesperson for a wine trade organization) would be well advised to take early retirement! 2009 was quite simply the worst vintage I have ever witnessed or experienced as a grower. It is on a par with the dismal 1977 and 1984 vintages in Oregon. We did have a promising start to the vintage with moderate weather and we missed the spring frost which decimated vineyards in northern Ohio. Then in July, the weather turned cold and wet and stayed that way through October. Our crew did the best job of canopy management ever, but to no avail. Enormous disease pressure combined with the need for extended hang time meant that we ended up selectively picking everything to avoid rot. It some cases, picking cost more than the fruit was worth.

2008 Harvest Report

As I write this in late February, the wines from 2008 have been cleaned up and are showing very well. After a cool spring which delayed bloom, the weather turned generally warm and dry until late October. Harvest dates were later than usual due to the late bloom, but full maturity was obtained on all varieties save for Petit Verdot. Brix levels were mid-20s on some varietals.
Despite extensive shoot and crop thinning, yields were high, and in some cases higher than desired. Sugar and flavor intensity levels were also high with more complexity shown in the wines than in 2007. Overall, in this winegrower's opinion, 2008 might be the best vintage yet for Kinkead Ridge. Stars for 2008 include the White Revelation (to be released Memorial Day weekend 2009) and the Cabernet Sauvignon (releasing Labor Day weekend 2010). See above for a description of the past vintages.
Ron Barrett, Winegrower
 

Click here to request a copy of our retail outlets. There are two wine stores in Cincinnati that can ship within Ohio or out-of-state.

If you can't find our wines, please have your  local wine store call us at 937-392-6077, and we can arrange a delivery to them for your convenience. We do use natural cork, the best quality we can buy. But cork is a natural product, subject to failure. If you purchase a bottle of our wine that you believe is corked, please return the bottle, cork and contents to us or the wine store. We will arrange for a replacement or refund.

For information about older vintages, please check the "Earlier Vintages" link above. Some of these wines may still be available in wine stores and restaurants throughout Ohio.

A quote from Loren Sonkin on Mark Squire's bulletin board, regarding the
2008 Ohio/Michigan Wine Challenge:
"The final group was miscellaneous reds. The group’s favorites mirrored mine for this flight. They were the 2006 Kinkead Ridge Revelation Red, the 2006 River Village Syrah, the 2005 South River Karma, and the 2006 Fenn Valley Cabernet Franc. All of these are $15 or less. Mine, and the groups’ favorite came from Kinkead Ridge.
They are an Ohio Valley winery just east of Cincinnati and
in my opinion making the best red wines in Ohio.
I would easily spend the $15 on the Revelation
 or around $20 for the Cabernet Sauvignon (which was not in the tasting)."

Click here for a one page summary of our 2010 releases

Click here for a one page summary of our 2009 releases
 
Click here for a one page summary of our 2008 releases

Click here for a one page summary of our 2007 releases
 

Released in May 2008, the 2007 white wine impacted by the frost sold out in two weeks. Released in May 2007, the 2006 white wine sold out in 3 months; released in September 2007, the 2005 Petit Verdot sold out in two weeks; the 2005 Syrah, Cabernet Franc sold out in April.  We enter several wine competitions a year, and we are approaching the point where the wines are sold out before medals are awarded! So it's great to acquire our wines before that happens.