I Love Bourbon too

I know this is my wine blog. But, on my visit to Louisville, I fell in love with Bourbon. I had to dedicate at least one entry to the bourbons. On the Urban Bourbon Trail in Louisville, I tried the following fine bourbons.

1. Maker's Mark
2. Woodford Reserve - I just loved it; I think its the best
3. Knob Creek
4. Booker's - 127 Proof; Pure alcohol with a great nose
5. Baker's

Ahh... the smoky, oaky nose of the perfect bourbon - there's nothing like it.

Return to Pinot Noirs

On a trip (conference) to Louisville, yesterday night I ordered a glass of 2008 MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. And, boy, it was good. Looks like I am getting a hang of Pinots after all. Black Cherry and slight Oak on the nose with a smooth, dry, oaky palette and amazing finish. mmm...

Encouraged by a good Pinot Noir experience, I ordered a glass of Castle Rock Pinot Noir at the dinner the next night. This one was good too. Black Cherry on the nose with a smooth, dry finish.

Then I tried the Fetzer Pinot Noir Napa Valley at the Fusion 10 Reception today. It was bad; nothing like a Pinot. Bummed by this experience I switched to Corona. Later, at the drinks and dessert social, I tried a glass of Canvas Merlot (CA, USA). Dark fruit with slight oak on the nose with a long dry finish. Quite Good.

On my last night in Louisville, I ordered the 2008 DeLoach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Dark Cherry on the nose with a smooth finish. I loved it; not as much as the MacMurray Ranch.

Celebration!!!

In our family, Celebration = Sparkling. Last night, we celebrated by opening the Belhurst Naturel Sparkling Wine. Citrus, ample bubbles and balanced acidity - Pretty Good overall.

Weekend Wines

This weekend, we had the following wines:

2008 Knapp Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Finger Lakes, NY, USA) - Oaky with a long dry finish - What's not to like?

2007 Tangent Winery Ecclestone (CA, USA) - A seemingly kitchen sink blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Albarino and Muscat Canelli with a citrus nose and balanced acidity. Quite refreshing ...

Wines at the Grovewood Tavern

Yesterday, we visited the Grovewood Tavern on our way to the Cleveland Indians Ball Game. Located in the inner city neighborhood, this restaurant boasts a great wine list, great food made from local ingredients and very courteous and attentive service. Street side parking and ambiance created by Christmas Lights might be the only things that some may not like.

We tried the following wines during the course of our dinner.

1. 2009 Cave de Pomerols Picpoul de Pinet (Languedoc, France) - 100% Picpoul aka Folle Blanche. Quite aromatic - fruity, crisp, refreshing
2. 2008 Ciconia Alentejano Tinto (Portugal) - A delicious blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Aragones.
3. 2008 Zig Zag Zin (Mendocino, CA, USA) - My first serious Zin and I must say I liked it. Full bodied with dry finish.
4. 2009 Campuget Tradition Rose (France) - Very crisp and refreshing; loved the color

Ohio Wines, or are they???

Last weekend, we bought a couple of bottles from a few Ohio wineries on our way to Columbus. We have tried the following so far:

• Raven's Glen Winery Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Fruity & Oaky on the nose with balanced acidity and dry finish on the palette; Quite Good, I must say
• Yellow Butterfly Winery Senorita - Fruity on the nose with balanced acidity and sweetness on the palette; not so dry; I liked it

Both of these wines are not estate grown and that explains the nicety of the wines. I am guessing that these are made in CA or OR wines with a local winery label or made by a good vintner from CA or OR grapes.

Ohio Wine Trail - Good Scenery, Wine not so much

This Labor Day weekend, we are visiting our friend in Columbus, OH. Instead of taking the usual, straight yet boring route (I-71), we decided to take the more scenic route thru eight Ohio wineries (see picture). Living in Ohio for the past thirteen years and having visited many other Lake Erie wineries, we did not expect great wines; just the rural scenery and an opportunity to socialize with some new folks. And, that is what we got. Here is the list of wineries, we visited along with our notes and ratings.

B. School House Winery - Small, boutique winery in a 123 year old school nestled in the rolling hills and corn fields of the Ohio's Amish country; More of a local watering hole; Below Average wine (None Estate Grown)

C. Silver Moon Winery - Small winery, part of the Ohio Amish Country Wine trail; Very dry service; Below Average wine (None Estate Grown)

D. Rainbow Hills Vineyards - Vineyards and Winery tucked in the beautiful Applachian foothills; Vintner, a 73 year old man who has been at wine making in this region for over 22 years, was a pleasure to talk to; a small bed & breakfast on the property; many decks each with a great view of the hillside for the pleasure of the visitors; Average wines - lot of mineral content (on the nose as well as the palette) in the estate grown wines as is usual in this part of Ohio

E. Yellow Butterfly Winery - A brand new winery (opened just 12 weeks ago) started by the former mayor of Cleveland, Michael White; Scenery comprised of beautiful rolling hills; restaurant open for dinner on weekends; Belo Average wines (None Estate Grown)

F. Raven's Glen Winery & Restaurant - Large winery (compared to the others on this trip) on the banks of Tuscarawas river; Easiest access of all the wineries visited on this trip; Large selection of wines - estate grown and otherwise; Average wines - some of the non-estate grown wines were quite good (Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon); Nice restaurant with a view of the river (we had lunch here)

G. Shawnee Springs Wimery - Small boutique winery nestled in the hills; Below Average wines

H. Heritage Vineyards - Small family-owned boutique winery with a selection of wines - estate grown and otherwise; Below Average wines - lot of mineral on the nose as well as the palette

I. The Winery at Otter Creek - Small winery with a nice tasting room and a deck with a beautiful view of vineyards and a pond; Quite popular it seems (crowd of picnickers); Below Average wines