Ohio

This is made from grapes grown near the Lake Erie shore in northeastern Ohio.  It is cooler climate in style.  Of course, Pinot Noir is difficult to make anywhere, and this one is not only varietally correct, it is good.  Ruby in color with a few daker swirls, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, rhubarb, slight herbal note, and a bit of spice.  Medium bodied.

It northeast Ohio, it can be difficult to grow Cabernet Sauvignon and get it ripe.  The spring often limits when budbreak occurs, and cold autumns don't often allow sufficient hang time.  In an experiment to deal with this, the North Coast Wine Club, utilized the Appassimento method from northeast Italy, in an attempt to get a bit more volume and alcohol.  This means the grapes are allowed to partially air-dry out which reduces volume while raising the sugar levels.  it is the way Amarone is made, but in this case, instead of Italian grapes, this wine is made in that method but using Bordea

This has a deep salmon pink color, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice watermelon scent.  On the palate, this is sweet and visouce.  5% residual sugar.  Those who like sweet white Zinfandels should like this.  

Ohio used to be one of the top winemaking spots in the US.  While it no longer has the reputation it once had, there are some very good wines being made in Ohio.  This is especially true for the whites and the dessert wines.  Chardonnay, however, is not typically one of the more successful whites, but this is one of the best!  Light golden/green in color.  The nose is nice with melons, vanilla and slight spice.  On the palate, this has a creamy texture.  Light acidity.  The melons and vanilla come thru along with some tropical fruit.  Very refreshing and better if served cold to bring out m

From a winery in northwest Ohio along the Lake Erie shore.  Vidal Blanc, is a hybrid grape that does very well in this area and makes wonderful dessert wines.  This is a true Ice Wine and not artificially produced.  Deep golden in color.  The nose is pretty with a canned peaches in heavy syrup quality to it.  On the palate, there are more peaches along with a bit of orange peel and slight bitter honey.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This would go with anything that a Sauternes would go with.  It should last another five years for sure and maybe ten.  It is one of the styles of wine that is m

This had been purchased from retail so it may have been sitting on the supermarket shelves for a while.  Fairly priced at $16.  It was solid but not as good as most of the wines from this producer.  In our tasting it was one of two wines that got no first, second or third place votes.  Light silvery gold in color.  The nose has little to offer.  On the palate it shows more of a grapefruit juice turning a bit bitter on the finish.  It has a nice mouthfeel.  This was likely much better in its youth or from a pristine bottle.  Drink up if you have one.  

These days, I think that M Cellars is making some of the best wines in Ohio.  They are nestled in the northeast corner of Ohio not too far from the Lake Erie shore.  There are actually quite a few wineries in that part of the state.  Most utilize a "tourist" model for selling their wine.  M Cellars is one of the few attempting to make world class wines and more often than not, they achieve that goal.  This bottle was recently purchased at their tasting room.  It was one of my favorites in a tasting of Ohio and New York wines.  Light silvery green in color.  The nose has a lemony quality whi

Back in the days before Prohibition, the wines from the Lake Erie Islands far outsold the wines from Sonoma.  Peruse and older text and you will see that these islands produced some of the top wines this country produced.  Nowadays, the islands mostly serve as a summer weekend destination for fun and cheap beer, but there is still some wine being made in the area.  No doubt most of the wine is better enjoyed on a hit summer's day, listening to music in a bar.  Still, it is good to try the wines and see what is being produced.  This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Vidal Blanc.  It is uncle

Urban Vintner is an Ohio wine making wine from purchased grapes.  This wine was made from grapes purchased in Chile.  I tasted from a freshly opened bottle.  I was told it improved greatly with air.  Purple in color.  The nose is all about bell pepper.  Concentrated and persistent bell pepper.  Maybe a bit of smoke as well.  Now, a little bell pepper in a Cabernet can be charming at times, but this was unpleasant.  On the palate, this has tingling acidity.  Perhaps some trapped CO2.  There are some plums on the palate with slight tannins.  Short finish.  Tastes vary and you might like this,

Urban Vintner is an Ohio winery making wine from purchased grapes.  This particular wine uses grapes from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington State.  This was the best of their wines and is not only respectable but quite good.  Garnet in color.  The nose has black cherries with a slight herbal (chervil?) note.  The tannins come on strong at first but mellow out on the midpalate and finish.  There is some depth and complexity but this is young and could use a few years in the cellar.  It is a quality and varietally correct Cabernet.  It calls for bigger grilled or roasted foods and will also