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Cincy winefest delivers some pleasant surprises
Nine wines scored gold medals in the 2009 Cincinnati International Wine Festival that was held March 13-14 in downtown Cincinnati.
A link to the 2009 medal winners is available from the festival’s home page.
Here are the gold-medal winners, followed by a few highlights from the event:
2009 Cincy Winefest Gold Medal winners
Artesa 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Barefoot Wine NV Pinot Grigio
Fess Parker Winery 2004 Big Easy Syrah
Four Vines Winery 2006 Zinfandel Maverick
Harlow Ridge 2007 Pinot Noir
Michael-David Winery 2004 Rapture
Palo Alto 2007 Reserve Red
The Meeker Vineyard 2005 4 Kings Meritage
Vall Llach 2005 Idus Priorat
Nine golds out of nearly 400 wines entered — this competition certainly sets a high bar, at least for golds. There were about 42 silver medals and roughly 115 bronze medals awarded. One of the golds went to the winery owned by the “Honorary Chairs” of the ‘09 festival, Charles and Molly Meeker.
One impression I came away with from the 2009 wine offerings: There were some excellent wines from obscure or greatly umderappreciated grape varietals, including:
— 2008 Traminette from Ohio’s own Meranda-Nixon winery in Ripley in southern Ohio. The grapes are estate-grown, and the most recent release is the driest yet, Seth Meranda said. It’s also his best, and the winery sells it for $12.
— 2007 Graziano Chenin Blanc: I’m a sucker for this grape and its steely backbone of lime and minerals — at least in those that are made right. And Graziano’s from California is made right.
— 2007 McNab Ridge French Colombard: I’m not sure I’ve had a varietal Columbard since Inglenook days, but winemaker Richard Parducci, who poured his wines at the Wine Gallery & Cafe in Dayton a few days before the festival, makes a very fine lip-smacking, summertime sipper from the grape, for $15.
— 2008 Del Rio Vineyards Rose Jolee: Made in Oregon predominantly from a muscat clone called Early Muscat, this is a spritzy, slightly sweet and thoroughly delightful little wine. Ohio retail is $12.
Plenty of “luminaries” in attendance, but two worthy of note: Bob Foley, who spent part of his childhood in Oakwood and went on to winemaking game first at Markham Vineyards and then at his own Robert Foley Vineyards, came to the event, but not as a winemaker — as a customer. And he looked like he was having more fun than he did back in the years he was on the other side of the pouring table.
Also, Selena Cuffe, the suburban Cincinnati woman who serves as president of Heritage Link Brands and who brings in several South African wines to the U.S. (and now to southwest Ohio), was pouring some of her lineup of wines.
More about Selena and Heritage Link Brands soon …
Did you attend the Cincy event? Any thoughts?
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Comments
By donniella
April 3, 2009 2:54 PM | Link to this
Hey Mark: thanks for the kudos regarding Meranda Nixon’s Traminette 2008 — they have a beautifully maintained vineyard within the influence of the Ohio River — they are a dynamic and hardworking family with an extremely hospitable atmosphere in their tasting room — they make both newbees and more ‘serious’ consumers equally at home — and obviously they are producing some serious wines — we poured that same wine at a Congressional reception in DC a couple of weeks ago — it was VERY well received both by the other states’ winemakers and our legislators too
By Dylan, www.ourwinestory.com
March 24, 2009 12:24 PM | Link to this
It must have been a blast for Bob Foley to make a visit from the customer side of things. It’s the equivalent of being a party-attendee vs being the host. While being the host is rewarding, you still have a lot on your mind to keep your guests happy. In the case of the guest, you just get to enjoy yourself.